Mundane
by LiLaAir
Summary: Bonnie is living in Portland with her mother. She still has a strong connection to her Mystic Falls life and has created a good way to combine the two worlds. Until she meets Kai Parker, a boy from her school that has quiet a raputation. Bonnie is struggling to keep her life the way she used to handle it. Why does he have such an impact on her? All human and other characters.
1. Chapter One:Status Quo

Mundane

Chapter One: Status Quo

Mystic Falls 2003

"You can't leave! " Caroline was holding her arms around her stomach; squeezing hard; not wanting to let go.  
"I don't want to." She stated to remind her friend it was not her choice.  
"How are we supposed to live here without you?" Elena was standing next to her two best friends looking horribly sad.

Bonnie was close to crying even though she promised herself yesterday she would get through this day without shedding a tear. But Caroline's holding and Elena's pouting wasn't helping her in any way. She looked to her mother- standing by the car; talking to Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert and Sherriff Forbes. The three girls had known each other their whole life and were never apart longer than two weeks of summer vacation. But now, as her mother was about to divorce her father and had a new job in Oregon the three would have to figure out how to live apart.

Elena and Caroline had it easier because they still had each other but Bonnie was headed to a new town where she would be the new girl in class and had no one by her side to comfort her.  
The girls had already made plans how they would stay in touch. Calling every day, visiting in the spring break and the advantage that Bonnie still had family in Mystic Falls that she needed to visit once in a while. They were certain they would stay friends. And that they one day would be reunited at college.

"Bonnie, darling! We need to hit the road." Bonnie heard her mother call.  
She was looking at her and saw that she was hugging her own best friend, Elena's mother, tightly.  
Bonnie opened her arms so Elena could join her embrace. The three girls said nothing just holding each other.

Then Bonnie felt Caroline's silent tears and she fought back her own. Bonnie's mother called once more and Bonnie knew it was really time to let go.

"I'll call you as soon as I'm in the new house- I promise." She was trying to get out of her friend's hug but they held on even tighter.  
"Girls, Bonnie and Abby really need to get going or they will miss their flight." Mr. Gilbert came to them.  
Only with reluctance they let go of Bonnie. Both of them had tears on their faces. Bonnie had to look somewhere else so she wouldn't join their friend in the contest of whose face could be wetter. She gave Elena and Caroline one last hug and rushed to the car. Her mom was already behind the wheel and giving the people waiting next to it a last smile.

"We'll see you guys." She said as Bonnie buckled herself up next to her mother. She started the engine and honked in farewell. Bonnie waved back at her friends and their parents until no one was to be seen anymore. She turned to the street and kept fighting her tears.

"I know honey. It's hard. But you can always visit here. The next holidays will come in no time, you will see. And in Portland you will find friends very fast."  
Bonnie only nodded to her mother. She understood why they had to move but she was still sad. And she was afraid. Of the new town, the new people and the new school. She was a good student and had a lot of friends here in Mystic Falls but what if she wouldn't find any friends in Portland?

There was so much going on in her head. But she was strong. No tear would fall down her cheek. At least not today.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2010

"Stop it, this it really not the time." She was laughing into his neck.  
"Why not? It is a good time as ever." He continued kissing her chin and neck.  
Bonnie was enjoying his touch but she got slightly annoyed at him. How can he be so careless all the time?  
"Please, I mean it. I really need to go."  
He looked at her with played confusion. "Where would you need to be right now but here?"  
He resumed his actions and Bonnie had to fight her way out of his embrace.  
"Stop it, Jeremy. I have no time for this."

He moaned and loosened his grip on her a little bit so she could slip out of his embrace.  
"Where exactly are you in such a rush to get to? It is 6 in the morning."  
Bonnie threw a pillow at Jeremy's head.  
"The airport, you dick! I'm going home today, remember?" She put her jeans on in a rush because she only had an hour now to be at the airport and her old car that she got from her grams to drive around in Mystic Falls would not be the fastest way to get there.

Jeremy let himself fall back into the sleeves.  
"Ough, this is today? I thought you were leaving in three days?"  
"See how good a listener you are. I told you two days ago that I had to reschedule my flight because of a group project I have to do in class that my group members are incapable of handling alone." She was a little angry at her boyfriend for forgetting this was their last few moment together in that year.  
"Home! I thought your home was here in Mystic Falls."  
"Well, my home is where my heart is." She smiled at him.

She had said goodbye to Caroline, Elena, her father and Grams yesterday evening but decided to spend the last night with Jeremy and head to the airport from there.

She was nearly completely dressed again when Jeremy tried to pull her back into bed.  
"Don't go just yet. I had such a nice thing planned for your departure."  
"I can't stay, Jer. I have to pass this assignment or I'll get an F at the end of the year."  
He pouted but let go of her.

Bonnie stood up from the bed and slipped into her shoes. She grabbed her back and gave Jeremy a quick goodbye kiss. She secretly wished for him to accompany her to the airport but her boyfriend was almost asleep again.

"Bye, Jer. Come visit me soon, okay?"  
"Hmm." Was all she got back from him. She gave him an annoyed look but he didn't see it since his eyes where closed again.

Bonnie went for the door and opened it. She looked back at her boyfriend and was sad again, like always when she left him. This long distance relationship was really hard on her.  
He suddenly said "Call me when you're there?"  
"Sure. I love you!"  
"Hmm." He was back at his sleepy state and Bonnie was back at being angry at him for showing such little interest in her farewell. She knew from a few friends back in Portland that their boyfriends were completely different in that matter. Jeremy himself used to be different but over the course of their nearly two year long distance relationship his interest in her seemed to have lifted a bit.

Bonnie had thought about that a lot lately. She had missed Jeremy so much but she had the feeling that it was only one sided. Even though Elena always assured her he was madly in love with her and when she was with him she felt that too but it was when she wasn't in town that she got worried about their relationship.

He had never visited her in Portland before and he didn't call as often as she would like that. Of cause, he was still young but so was she and she knew what she wanted.

She was at her car now and starting the engine a second later. She felt so sad and wished she could have talked to Elena about it for a second but her oldest friend was still fast asleep and she didn't want to wake her up since she knew Elena had her own boy troubles at the moment. She and her longtime boyfriend Matt were at the crossroads of staying together or separating. So a good night sleep would be important for her.

Bonnie felt her eyes fill with tears but she fought them away. She had done that since the day she and her mother moved away from Mystic Falls and she would not start crying over some boy. She was turning right and took the freeway to the airport.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have to inform you that this flight is going to be delayed for an hour due to fuel issues. We will keep you informed and apologize for any inconvenience." The female voice stopped talking.

Bonnie sighed out loud- just like 90% of the other people sitting in the plane. Oh well, she could have spent a few more moments with Jeremy then, maybe talk about their relationship but no she had to leave for the airport in a rush only to sit in the plane and wait for the staff to fuel the damn thing. Great, this day started brilliantly already.

She looked outside the small window. She was sitting on the left side of the plane but not in the seat next to the window. The seat was still empty even though the official boarding time was already over. But maybe someone would still come and claim this seat due to the delay. On the right side of her was a business man already calling people to inform them of the delay.

She watched the people outside on the flight path talk to each other. No one was actually doing something to hurry things up. Bonnie was annoyed.

She pushed herself into her seat and closed her eyes. She was actually really sleepy because she spent half the night entertaining Jeremy. She decided now was as good as ever to start her little nap.

When she opened her eyes again the plane was already heading to the runway. Bonnie took a look at her watch and saw that one and a half hours had past. Egh, she could have been halfway in Portland by now. She let her face slide to the window and nearly let out a cry because she scared herself. In the seat, that was empty before her little slumber, sat a young man. Okay, maybe he wasn't a man just yet. It was a teenage boy. Maybe Bonnie's age or one year older. He was focusing on the magazine in his lap and doing the crosswords.

Bonnie suddenly recognized the boy.  
She quickly looked away. Her sudden movement raised his attention though.

"Oh, good morning. Did you have a nice sleep?" He was smiling brightly at her. Bonnie couldn't exactly tell if he was being serious. And she didn't know how to react to him. She kind of knew him from her first day of school in Portland but until now she had never spoken a word with him. So instead of just saying something she chose door number two and just blankly stared at the guy.

He was tall; she knew that even though she couldn't see that right now because he was sitting. His hair was short and a dark brown, a darker brown than her own hair at the moment. In contrast to that his eyes were grey/blue. They were a highlight in his otherwise very pretty face and they were directed at her. She used to spend hours of dreaming about him talking to her because in her early teen years he had been her crush. But since Jeremy was in the picture she kind of had that daydreaming under control. Only once in a while she would look at him and sigh.

"Did you lose your voice?" He was eying her with growing discomposure.  
"How did you get here?" Was the only thing she could think of after she finally found a way out of her trance.

He laughed at her. His laughter was bright and honest. She didn't remember ever hearing him laugh. She kind of thought he wasn't capable of that.

"I came to the airport with a cap. And then I walked the rest of the way right to this place." He said.  
"That's not what I mean. How did you get to this place? I don't remember you being here before I fell asleep."  
"Oh, right. I bought the last ticket for this flight, I was lucky the plane had delay. Then I saw you, asleep and I thought if such a young girl is so sleepy in the morning it can only be because of one reason and that is spending all her night doing something other than sleeping, so I figured I didn't have to wake you and kind of climbed over you to get to my seat."

Bonnie gave him an insecure look as he refocused his attention to his crosswords.  
"Thanks, I guess." She finally said.  
„Oh, how welcome you are Bonnie." He aswered her.  
Bonnie gave him another look but this time it was amazement.

"You know my name?"  
"Of cause I do, Bonnie. You know mine as well. We are in the same school, remember?"  
„Right, I just never thought you ever recognized me… Kai."  
He turned his body in her direction so that he was sitting on one leg and facing her completely.

"History; second lesson. You always try to sit in the back row. I don't know why because it doesn't safe you from being asked something; but hey your decision. And then there was math and chemistry last year. And even though you were really good at math you never said anything during the lesson not even when the Mr. Friggs asked you directly. I always wondered why that is!"

Bonnie's mouth was dropping. If it hadn't been attached to her head it would probably be on the floor right now. The details that Kai remembered about her were unbelievable. And here she had thought he never even noticed her. She also didn't know how he got these information, for he had been shining with absence from school from day one. He was known for just showing up to school whenever he felt like it. He was being late or leaving in the middle of the lesson, or more often didn't show up at all. The teachers had given up on talking sense into him, since A: his father was one of the school patrons and more importantly B: he was a super smart guy getting all the good grades without any effort. He was kind of a living legend at school, even though he was on no school team he had always been one of the popular kids.

Kai was staring at her like he needed an answer to a question he had raised. Bonnie shook her head a little to clear it.  
"I'm sorry did you say something?"  
"I asked you why you always play yourself down. You seem like a smart girl, you can do better!"

"I don't know how this is any of your business but I am not seeking the spotlight like you are. Let me ask you something in return: Why not show up for class and be a little more adult in the way to treat your education, smartass?" Bonnie was a little offended by his question and she was even more surprised by her reaction. She never lashed out on people like that and he didn't even say something offending. It was just the fact that he sounded like a concerned friend that knew Bonnie well, but he was nothing but a classmate. A stranger even.

Kai was letting out a mocking sound. He wasn't content with her answer, she could tell, but he was also the king of manipulation and casualness. The people in school always talked about him, even her friends were sometimes joining the gossip. Bonnie couldn't know what of the things roaming around the hallways were true but she knew from the classes they had together that that one fact was indeed true.

"Now who's being a smartass, Mom?" He was mocking her and smiling a bright smile that Bonnie wanted to wash off his face. She was glaring at him.

"What were you even doing in Virginia anyway?"  
"Walking, talking, sightseeing. Who really cares?" he said almost bored. The way he always sounded in class. Like he never cared about anything that was happening around him. "What about you, little Miss Interrogation?"  
"I was visiting my family and friends."  
"Oh, right. You're an external! I forgot. So you're originally from Virginia?" He flipped into a random chatty voice. Bonnie wasn't sure she preferred it to his nonchalant one he just had used a second ago, because she feared the outcome of this conversation. One could never know with Kai Parker.

"Yes, I grew up in a small town named Mystic Falls. I go there as often as possible to see my friends, my dad, my grams…"  
"Your boyfriend?" He interrupted.

"Yes!"

Bonnie blinked at him. She was surprised at how casually he sounded and she was more surprised that he so easily could make her talk. She usually wasn't sharing too much about herself, plus she had no intention to tell him anything personal. But now he knew that her father wasn't living with her and that she had a boyfriend. Shit, she had to pay more attention to what she was saying. Giving Kai Parker information about herself could come around and bite her in the ass one day.

Kai was looking at her for a few more seconds than his gaze went back to the crosswords on his lap. She was relieved since she thought she would be safe from his nosy questions but she was wrong.  
Still filling out the crosswords he started talking again.

"So why not stay until the new year? Guess your boyfriend would be thrilled if you'd give him his fist kiss in the new year!" He didn't look up from his magazine which only underlined the arrogance that his voice traced of.

"That was the plan. I had to leave earlier because of a school project that the others can't handle on their own."  
"Egh, really? That is your lame excuse? School? A group project? And he accepted that?"  
"Yes, he did because he knows how important this is to me." Bonnie said annoyed. She thought back at the farewell she got this morning and hoped that Kai wouldn't detect her lie. She was starting to get annoyed by him. He was perfect at driving people mad and he had found a new victim in Bonnie, one that conveniently couldn't escape him for hours. He was probably going to enjoy this flight. Bonnie was the perfect victim, playing along reacting to all the buttons he pressed.

"I don't get it. How in the world could your project not wait until a few days? School isn't starting tomorrow. I bet you still have gazillion years to finish this."

"Well, I see why you wouldn't get it. You just don't get the concept of school at all. Because some of us actually have to work to get a good grade and can't rely on the universe to drop all the solutions into our lap without any effort or any attendance. You know what? I don't even know why I'm defending myself. It is my decision and non of your business."

Bonnie took a quick look to the left to find Kai watching her with somewhat interest in his eyes. That was a big deal for him since he always just looked bored or annoyed or just nonchalant. But his look confused Bonnie even more, so she looked away. Also because she felt uncomfortable about the way she kept lashing out on the guy.

Kai was laughing again and Bonnie had to take a look of that because he didn't stop. She still had the feeling that laughter wasn't within his capability so she had to check if her ears were playing a games with her. But her eyes saw what her ears had heard. Kai's body was facing Bonnie but he wasn't looking at her due to the fact that his eyes were closed. Bonnie had to hide a grin because his laughter was infectious. When he finally stopped laughing he was gasping for air and holding his stomach.

"Ah, BonBon I haven't had a good laugh in a while now. You are so entertaining." In one move he was tossing his magazine in the small back at the back of the seat in front of him and turning his body to face her again.

Bonnie wasn't thrilled with that because she read into his move that his attention was going to be completely stuck on her from now on. God, why couldn't she already be in Portland?

"So what was so funny?" She tried to sound casual but she still tried to hide the effect his laughter had had on her, so she sounded oddly like someone who was about to burst into tears.

Kai was eying her, trying to figure out what her voice was indicating. But he probably didn't care enough to bother about it because he quickly put on his relaxed face.  
"You are just really refreshing. Has been a while since someone put up to me. Didn't know I needed that."

"You can be glad that the plane got delayed and you could get your ass kicked by me, then."  
"Oh, I sure am." His smirk was bright and indicating danger. Bonnie couldn't look away. She had to admit that she understood her younger self for falling for this guy because he was really attractive.

His stare was so intense that she felt the heat rising in her cheeks. She was so glad for her darker skin color at the moment, because if she was lucky he wouldn't notice the light pink that was showing on it now. She didn't want him to know that anything related to him was causing any kind of reaction on her. He probably had enough girls falling for him already and she wasn't going to give him the impression that she was one of them.

But of cause the luck hadn't been on her side, just like always. The way that he slightly bent his head to the side told her that he did notice the small change, so she quickly looked away, trying to avoid his knowing eyes and the smirk that was mocking her.

" What's wrong, Bonster? Already out of ways to kick my ass?" His voice was laced with mockery and arrogance. Of cause he interpreted the situation all wrong.

She looked back at him as she realized her blush was fading.  
"No, I'm just saving the best for the end. It is still a long flight and the school year is also still in progress so, be prepared Kai Parker. You'll never see me coming."

"Uuuuh, I guess I have to run to my Mommy now as fast as possible!" He was waving his hands in mock fear. Clearly he was unimpressed by Bonnie's statement. She had thought it was a rather brave and self-confident one that might have put him off her back a little, but she now saw that it wasn't as impressive as she made it out to be to him. It was probably impossible to make Kai Parker feel small even if you could catch him off guard.

Her face must have shown her frustration because he was letting out a short laugh and his face turned a little lighter.  
"Nice try, Bonnie. Actually the best one in a while. But if you want to sound scary and convincing to someone like me, you have to put in just a little bit more effort. We are going to have to work on that from now on."

From now on? What was he trying to say? There would be no from now on. The moment they landed she was gonna storm out of the plane and drive home. She was going to leave this unpleasant meeting behind her and back in school she would become the invisible Bonnie Bennet again and he will be the same ignoring, arrogant smartass as he has always been. They will never share a single word again, just the way it has been for the last couple of years.

"Like that is ever going to happen?"  
"Why would say that, Bon?"

The way he would give her nicknames bothered her. Like they were close enough for that.  
"Well, because we're not friends. We actually never talked until now. I don't see that that is going to change soon." She explained a little skeptical.  
"But now that I have talked to you I might not want to get back to our old habit of not talking. And I think neither do you. This conversation has been the most interesting I had in months. I am really interested to see if you can keep this up."

"Keep what up?"  
"Catching my interest."  
"And if I don't want to catch your interest or even talk to you one more time."

Kai wasn't answering instantly. He was eying her, something flashed over his face but Bonnie couldn't read him. Then he turned his whole body to face her again.  
"Well if that is the case, then all you have to do is tell me." He suddenly leaned closer to Bonnie so that his mouth was nearly touching Bonnie's ear and he whispered "But you and I both know that that is not the case!"

Bonnie shivered as he was leaning back again. He was still watching her and Bonnie had to fight so hard to not look away so that he could see that she wasn't affected by him. Or was that even impossible for her right now? She couldn't stop staring at him. What he said sounded so cocky and way to self-confident, like he could do whatever he wanted with whoever he wanted. She didn't like that. But the closeness from just seconds ago had her all confused. This boy right next to her was the most entangled person she had ever met. Unreadable, arrogant, indifferent but also mysterious, charming even and of cause, Bonnie couldn't deny it, attractive as hell. She felt drawn to him, even against her better judgment.

"I'm not like those other girls you can just toy with the way that you please. I'm not like that. I won't follow you like a lost puppy and be shattered when you decide you're through with me."

His expression showed a lack of understanding, like what he just heard was completely misplaced with him or he didn't know what she was referring to. He was slowly shaking his head and a small and dangerous smile was building on his face that made Bonnie swallow.

"I thought you had a boyfriend. I'm not hitting on taken women."

He said it with such sincerity that Bonnie believed him and felt embarrassed for a second.

"Oh, Bonnie. I never imagined you to be anything like those dumb dolls that are running around our school hallways like they are some kind of queen. I would never treat you like I treat them. But don't be mistaken, if I want to keep you in my orbit there is little you can do to change that even if you wanted to."  
He was turning away from her again. He grabbed his magazine and Bonnie took the chance to turn around herself and close her eyes, pretending to fall asleep again.

He had churned her up so much. She wasn't going to be able to sleep a single second but she needed the space to think this conversation through. What did he mean with all his allusions? Bonnie was sure she wouldn't get it but she still needed to do it. To get this conversation out of her system, to remember that she indeed had a boyfriend and had no business reacting like that to Kai. She needed to calm down; she needed to forget about Kai freaking Parker.

 **Author's note: Here it goes, my new fanfic. I have it all planned out and I am really excited to write this story. It will take a while for another update because I really want to do this story justice and invest a bit of work into it. And of cause I will not abandon my other fanfiction for this, so be patient everyone. I hope you like it and that you will stay tuned. I don't know if the following chapters are going to be this long, but I needed to get everything out there to give a basis. I tried to find a cut but then I decided to post the whole thing as the first chapter to give you an insight into the world I'm going to create. Sorry for any mistakes that were made, English is not my first language so I can only try my best. So thanks for reading. I'm excited for your feedback. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	2. Chapter Two:Ground Zero

Chapter Two: Ground Zero

The winter break ended faster than she expected. The day after she got home from Mystic Falls she met up with Lianne and Dave to prepare their group project. The condition the project was in was worse than she had expected. After a long day of arguing and discussing, Bonnie made sure that all the important tasks were directed to her, so she could make sure that they would actually pass. Bonnie gave Dave the task to do the visuals for the presentation after she would send him the information and Lianne would have to organize the visual aids as well as the model. So actually Bonnie had to do all the work by herself. She was glad that she had decided to leave Mystic Falls earlier. She had to use up all her free time to prepare for the project.

On New Year's Eve she got a call from Caroline and Elena. The two had been very sad that she couldn't spent the night with them but they also reassured her that they were going to visit her soon in the new year. That made her feel a little better.

Jeremy stayed radio silent until the 2nd of January. Bonnie tried to call him several times to wish him a happy new year but he wouldn't pick up. After the tenth time Bonnie actually only called to yell at him and tell him all about her anger. Then on the 2nd he called her and gave her an apology that he probably took from the internet. But Bonnie was tired of being angry at her boyfriend so she didn't say a single word.

The day had come that she had to go back to school. The project was nearly done and they still had a week to finish it and give it the final cut. The night before school started again Bonnie couldn't fall asleep. Her mind was so busy thinking that she couldn't rest. But she wasn't nervous about the project or any other school stuff like the last times she couldn't sleep. She didn't understand what kept her on edge.

And then she finally got it. It was him. The encounter on the plane. She was actually a little scared to see Kai again tomorrow. `How dumb are you, Bonnie Bennet? `, she thought to herself. `Like he is going to attack you in the middle of the hallway! What is he supposed to do to make you feel uncomfortable?`

She was trying to reassure herself that her fear was irrational and dumb but it didn't work. That night she only got two hours of sleep and woke from a nightmare involving planes and laughter.  
\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

She fell asleep during her second lesson. Several times actually but her teacher only noticed once when she was starting to snore.

Bonnie had actually been relieved when the lesson started and Kai had left the classroom right before Ms. Gibbens would enter. Bonnie guessed he just decided that he didn't want to spend the whole hour with, what he had stated, "idiots".

Now, everyone in the classroom was staring at Bonnie and Ms. Gibbens looked furious. Bonnie felt the panic rising inside of her again. The same panic that she felt when she entered school this morning and the first person she saw was Kai Parker.

He was leaning next to some freshman's locker, talking to a guy and blocking the freshman's way. The poor boy looked even more scared than Bonnie but he knew that it was not his place to ask if Kai could get out of his way. No one would help the poor boy.

That realization made Bonnie furious and a rush of bravery and adrenaline made her head in that very direction. She stopped directly next to Kai who was focusing his attention to the conversation with his friend. Bonnie recognized him now; it was Brian Glen, star athlete of the football team and a senior for the second time. She had seen him around Kai a lot.

Kai made no effort acknowledging Bonnie's arrival, what only made her more furious.

"Excuse me, man! But I think you and your big ego are blocking this guy's locker. Since your ego isn't going anywhere anytime soon, care about stepping away from the locker at least?" Bonnie said with an icy voice.

Kai still hadn't looked at her. He was staring at his friend and Bonnie could see viciousness forming in Kai's eyes. Ups, what had she done? No one even dared talking to Kai about anything but she had just insulted him in front of the whole school. Bonnie took a quick look around. The other students around them stopped what they did before and stared at the scenery. Brian only blinked at her and the freshman's eyes were wide open and she could see the panic in it.

Bonnie swallowed heavily. When she looked back at Kai she was about to take a step back but he turned his head very slowly to look at her. The way he was looking in her eyes made her freeze in her position and she had Goosebumps all over her body.

His expression was emotionless but his eyes were cold. He turned his body in her direction so he was now leaning onto the locker with his right shoulder. He watched her whole appearance for several moments. Bonnie now wished she would have gotten more hours of sleep tonight. She had tried to cover the bags under her eyes with makeup but after she was done, one could still see the exhaustion. Kai probably saw that, too, with his all-knowing stare.

He then started to grin but his eyes stayed cold. He bowed his head to the left. There was a shiver going down Bonnie's spine and she had the huge urge to run away from him. But she stayed. It was about time someone stood up to Kai Parker. 'But why does that have to be you?' her inner voice said.

With elegance he pushed himself off the locker and closed the distance between himself and Bonnie. It was like the whole school held their breath in anticipation. Bonnie's heartbeat rose to an unhealthy level and she was afraid she was going to faint in front of everyone.

Kai was so close now that Bonnie could make out his sent. She could make out the discreet sent of mint, something that smelled like sunscreen and his own original sent. The combination made her knees weaken. He leaned down to her ear and whispered so only she could hear it.

"As you wish, milady. I serve to please!"

Bonnie's eyes widened and she took in a loud breath. With another look at her and a pleased grin on his face, for getting the exact reaction that he wanted, he nodded at Brian and the two of them left for the entrance.

Bonnie stood there for a few more seconds until she realized everyone was staring at her. She turned to the boy and told him that he has to be more demanding when it comes to his things and then walked around the corner.

She started running after she was sure there was no one watching her anymore and went straight to the girl's room to hide. Now that the adrenaline wore off, her whole body was shaking. She had to splash water into her face to calm down. Why could Kai Parker cause this kind of reaction?

After a few minutes she went to her class. She was late so everyone's attention in the classroom would have been on her anyways but now they all started whispering to each other when Bonnie entered the room. So the little incident a few minutes ago had already spread.

Everyone in class still looked at her, now. Today seemed to become the 'Stare at Bonnie Bennet day'. First in the hallways, then in first class as she was late and now because she fell asleep during class. Not a good start in the new year. Not at all.

Ms. Gibbens turned to her desk and took out a paper she quickly wrote something on.

"Bonnie Bennet," she offered the paper to her over the distance, signaling her to come pick it up "you'll have to explain yourself to the principle. NOW!"

Bonnie silently packed her stuff and went to get the paper Ms. Gibbens was still offering her. How embarrassing this was! She had never been send to the principle for anything.

Outside Bonnie took a look at the paper.

"Class suspension

The student Bonnie Bennet was suspended from Ms. Gibbens (history) class due to  
Falling asleep. She/he is instructed to report back to Principle Bright.

Ms. Gibbens"

Wow, this was a first for her. She had actually never seen a suspension paper. She was a good student and liked staying silent and in the background. Her friends would get suspended every now and then but it had actually happened more often a few years ago. Nowadays her group was being reasonable.

Angry at herself and at Kai Parker for making her stay up so long she strayed to the principal's office. She didn't know what was gonna happen next, if she had to wait long or if Mr. Bright would see her instantly. So she went to the front desk of Mrs. Percyville,Mr. Brights secretary.

"Hey Mrs. Percyville!" she greeted the woman she had know for as long as she lived in Portland. She had been the principles secretary in middle school and changed her job to become Mr. Brights secretary just as Bonnie switched schools too. The woman must be in her 50s now. She always wore a colorful cardigan and a bun. Her hair was dark brown laced with grey strides and around her eyes one could see wrinkles deepening. It was her who had given Bonnie her first instructions when she arrived at middle school all these years ago. And she had always liked her.

"Bonnie Bennet, my darling. How can I help you today?" Mrs. Percyville asked her with her all-time-friendly voice that Bonnie had never questioned. She felt kind of embarrassed to tell her the reason why she was here. Without any more explanation she handed her the paper Ms. Gibbens had given her.

Mrs. Percyville took a quick look over the paper and then back to Bonnie, confused.

"Child, are you alright? You never had to go see the principle."

"I know, it is just one of those days, I guess."

"Well, I'm going to have to give this to Mr. Bright. You can take a seat over at his office. It's going to be just a little while."

"Thanks, Mrs. Percyville." Bonnie answered politely even though there was nothing to thank her for, but it wasn't her fault.

Bonnie went to the direction Mrs. Percyville had shown her. She had only been in Mr. Bright's office once, when she was being honored for her science project last year. She remembered that in front of it there were a few chairs that she knew were always occupied by troublemakers. So now she was one of them.

When she turned around the corner to take a seat she instantly stopped. Could this really be? Could this day actually be this bad? The line of chairs was empty, just as one could suppose on the first day of school, but one was occupied. On that one chair sat Kai freaking Parker. He was looking at his phone in his hands and it seemed like he hadn't noticed Bonnie's arrival. Bonnie tried to take a few steps back around the corner and wait there, close enough to hear Mr. Bright call for her and far enough away from the Parker kid.

But karma wasn't with her this day because right when she was figuring out a way to hide from him he looked up and directly at Bonnie. A huge grin formed on his face and he relaxed in his chair.

"Well, well. What do my wary eyes see here? Isn't that Ms. Bonnie Bennet?" he said mockingly.

Bonnie ignored him and set down two seats from him. She put her bag on the ground between her feet and prayed that Mr. Bright would come out fast. She would rather hear a lecture from him than spent this whole time sitting next to Kai.

But he actually seemed content about the surprising company he got and got off his chair to sit in the one directly next to Bonnie. She groaned a little when he replaced himself, facing her and looking very interested for her being here. She tried her best not to look at him.

"Not a common view seeing you here. How come?" Kai started the interrogation.

"You have to be spending a lot of time here if you can tell." Bonnie still didn't look at him.

"Hhm, actually not as often as you might think because, well, you have to actually attend school to be called to the principle's office. But tell me, what kind of bad thing can a sweetheart like you have done to be called into the wolfs cave?"

"A: Don't call me sweetheart, we are not friends. And B: I think it is none of your business."

"Oh, what a pity. And here I was thinking that our plane bonding time earned me a little extra information. But if you aren't willing to share then I will just guess."

"Do what you have to; I won't give you an answer."

Kai rubbed his hands and sad up straight. "Alright, you have not the physics to hurt someone so any kind of violence is off the table. And you are actually too scared to speak real criticism on the school themes, so no teacher taking offence by anything you said…" He was watching Bonnie the whole time trying to read anything into her reactions.

Bonnie actually tried to show none but the way Kai described her was not only unsettling but also disturbingly accurate. Bonnie now looked Kai straight in the face.

"I see I'm getting at least this part right." Kai stated and went on "so this only leaves… disturbance in class. But not the normal one you are far to introverted to be yelling in class, even though your scene this morning might be suggesting otherwise. So my guess is on… falling asleep in class!" He clapped his hands and bumped up and down on his chair once, like a 10 year old would do when he got a right answer in a quiz.

Bonnie could only stare at him. How did he know this? Was she so easy to read? Or did he really know her better than she thought?

After a while without responding to his guess Kai asked "Am I right or am I right?"

"How in the world did you know this?" Bonnie's voice was sounding acknowledging, even though she tried to sound unbothered.

"I am good at reading people. Plus, you are an open book to me, Bonnie."

"Why do you take so much interest in me all of a sudden?"

"What tells you that I do? Maybe you are reading too much into this. Or my interest in you has always been there you just didn't notice. Or… it is not me who is taking interest but you!" Kai was leaning back in his seat once again. It disturbed Bonnie that she was so used to his movements already even though she had only really seen him once.

His statement made her feel uncomfortable so she tried to get his attention away from it. If he kept asking questions about her interest in him she might not be able to keep up a pokerface.

"And why are you waiting for Mr. Bright? I guess it is not because you want to wish him a happy new year." She said, hoping to refocus his attention.

"Hey, Mr. Bright and me, we go way back. I think I actually spent more time in his office then in any other class, so maybe I actually do want to wish him a happy new year and tell him how much I missed him." Kai offered Bonnie a breathtaking smile. She had to swallow hard to keep her focus on the words that had come out of his mouth.

"For real now, you know why I am here, it is just fair to share your story."

"I actually had to guess why you are here, so technically I don't have to do anything. But because you asked so nicely I will tell you. As you might have noticed, I left history class a little earlier today."

Bonnie had to laugh out loud. "A little earlier is a real nice way to put that. You left before the class had even started."

"Oh, well don't judge. History is such a waste of time. The teachers are crappy and if you really want to learn something you can read all about it in some fancy book. Plus, some of our classmates are such idiots; I really have to have the right mood to spend the morning with them, listening to their dumbness. Anyhow, my timing sucked a little this morning and I ran directly into the arms of Mr. Bright. He wasn't too pleased with me leaving after just one class, and I guess he was missing working on his ongoing project of forcing me to accept his help or something, so he took me here and I have been waiting for him to come out and try one of his world-changing lectures on me. I wonder what kind he will try today. The accusing lecture, the bargaining lecture, the angry lecture or maybe the rational lecture. I hope it's the angry one; it is the most comfortable one because he does all the talking. Trust me I had them all."

"How can you be so chill about this? I mean how many times have you been here, huh? Don't you think that it is time to actually start to listen to him and change your behavior?"

"Why would I? I don't want to fit into school and that is all he wants. He wants me to go to school, he wants me to be nice to others, he wants me to respect the teachers and get along with everyone. But screw this. I can do whatever I want to and still pass all my exams. There is nothing he could say or do to make me think that I have to change my behavior to succeed in life. I don't need this bullshit school to teach me anything."

"Wow, it must be very dark in your head if you think like this. If I could only put you inside someone else's body for one day and make you realize how difficult it is for others to be in this school and make you see how privileged and blessed you are to have an intellect like that, maybe that would help you see the world how it really is." Bonnie was getting angry at Kai. How could a 17 year old take everything he got out of life for granted? She knew it could not be because of the way he was raised, because she knew a few of his siblings, or she knew of them. The whole Parker family had never been in her contact list. But Kai's twin sister Jo was actually known to be the total contrary to him. She was kind and diligent. Had a nice word for everyone and really tried to do her best helping people with problems.

One would think that the two of them were not blood related but when they stood next to each other it was scary how alike their outer appearance was. One could also think they might not get along very well since they are so different, but the magical bond that twins shared was also applying to them. Bonnie had seen them sitting together during lunch or talking to each other in the hallways. To her it had always seemed that she was the only one being able to reach him in some degree.

Suddenly Bonnie rose from her chair. Kai only looked at her confused and she sad back down as fast as she had risen.

"What the hell was that?" Kai asked half laughing.

"Nothing, just… nothing." Bonnie said.

But actually it had been something. It had been shock. Shock over a realization. The realization that Kai had been right. Her question earlier about why he was taking such interest in her had not been that. It had been her all along. She knew she had a crush on him years ago but she just realized that even after she fell for Jeremy she still kept an eye open at the things Kai had done. As much as it disturbed her she knew a lot more about him from just observing him over the years. Bonnie felt like a stalker right now. Plus, she had the huge feeling she should apologize to Jeremy for not giving him all her attention for all this time.

Kai was watching Bonnie closely. He was obviously curious about what just happened but he kept silent. The sound of a door opening tore them out of their thoughts. Mr. Bright was stepping outside of his office and Bonnie strangely felt a huge relief to see her headmaster.

"Alright, Mr. Parker, here we go again. Ms. Bennet what are you doing here?" Mr. Bright was about to conduct Kai inside his office when he realized Bonnie's presence. So he was just as surprised as Kai was when he saw Bonnie waiting outside of the principal's office.

"Ehm, Ms. Gibbens sends me because…"

"…because of this." Mrs. Pennyville arrived from around the corner with the paper Ms. Gibbens had given Bonnie in her hand. She gave it to the principle and he had a quick look over it.

"Falling asleep during class? Is everything alright with you Ms. Bennet? This is so unlikely." Mr. Bright asked.

"I know, it is just that I didn't get much sleep last night and I was just so tiered during Ms. Gibbens class. It has nothing to do with her class it was just my fault." And the fault of the dude sitting right next to me, she added in her head.

"Is everything alright at home? Do you need to talk about it?" Mr. Bright looked concerned.

"Everything is good. I was just this one time I promise."

The school bell rang, indicating that the current lesson was over. Mr. Bright looked up to the clock hanging over his door and then back at Bonnie.

"Alright, I believe we should not make a big deal out of this. You can go back to your classes." He signed the paper and gave it back to Bonnie. She rose and put it in her bag to give it to Ms. Gibbens later.

"Thank you, Mr. Bright. I promise this won't happen again."

"I shall hope so. You should really learn a lesson from Ms. Bennet, Mr. Parker." He directed his second part to Kai again. While Bonnie prepared to get going she could hear Kai reply.

"About what exactly? Thinking about my sleeping rhythm? I think my sleep is probably one of the few things I do not have a problem with, sir." He sounded mocking and arrogant. Bonnie could not believe he would talk to an authority figure like that.

"Well, that's what you think. But maybe that is secretly the problem why you don't honor us with your presence as much as we'd like to. But we can talk about it inside, shall we?"

"Of course we shall!" Kai replied sweetly. Too, sweetly. Bonnie started to walk away now, because she didn't want to be late again today. When she was halfway around the corner she peeked back at the scenery and could see Kai step inside the office and Mr. Bright whispering something to Mrs. Pennyville who looked sad and shook her head.

Bonnie headed straight to Ms. Gibbens to give her the paper. She apologized for falling asleep and told her exactly what she had told Mr. Bright. Ms. Gibbens understood and Bonnie made her way to her locker. She took her math book out made her way to the classroom where she intended to sit next to Liza and Perry, two friends she hadn't seen in the new year, to catch up.

On her way to the classroom Bonnie had to think about her conversation with Kai. They way he saw the world was so strange to her. She could not figure this kid out. Maybe it was because it was his intention to not be figured out, because Bonnie had the feeling that Kai was a master of hiding his real feelings. So without him sharing anything about himself, Bonnie would probably never figure him out and that frustrated her because apparently he had her all figured out. She told herself that she didn't mind. She would probably not speak to him again until graduation, if she was lucky never again at all. But something inside her told her that when it came to Kai Parker her luck was all run out.

 **Author's note: Here we go again. Sorry for the wait and any mistakes I have made. I am really progressing with this story in my head and I am really looking forward to see what I made out of these ideas. Thanks for sticking around. Love to hear your opinion. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	3. Chapter Three: Attitude Suits You

Chapter Three: Attitude Suits You

'Bla bla bla…' was all he actually took from the lecture. It didn't matter anyways because nothing that Mr. Bright was telling him now would make any difference. He really wondered why the hell the dude still even tried. Kai had been lucky because Mr. Bright had chosen the angry lecture, so now he was sitting opposite him, separated from him by Mr. Bright's desk, and wasn't even pretending to listen to what he was saying.

"Are you even listening to anything I just said?" Mr. Brights voice cut through Kai's thick cloudy thoughts.

"Let me guess, I need to finally wake up and understand that I can't keep staying away from school. You want me to focus my energy on school projects rather than alcohol and you think I am wasting so much potential with the way I am acting around people. Did I miss anything?" Kai put all the boredom he had into his voice to make it clear he gave a shit about it.

"I am sorry if my lecture is boring you, but I am not the one in trouble here, so I suggest you pay more attention, Mr. Parker." Mr. Bright was eyeing Kai intensely.

"Maybe I would if I haven't heard all of it before."

"You stopped listening to anything I was telling you the past years the first time you were in my office. Do you even remember what that was about?"

"Tzz, how would I?" Kai didn't like the way this conversation had turned. Mr. Bright had changed his tactic. He was now trying to get Kai to talk. Good thing that Kai knew all of his techniques and was very capable of doing exactly the opposite thing. If Mr. Bright wanted to play games, Kai was in and he knew he would win.

"Well, I remember like it was yesterday. It was in your freshman year, in the middle of the school year. I never figured out what happened because for half a year you had been a good student. But then your teacher sent you to me. You had punched poor Mitchell Wonderson in the face during lunch. He had a broken nose because of this. And that was the first time of many meetings between the two of us. Wanna know why I remember this so well? I actually had a lot of those incidents during my time as principle, but yours got stuck in my mind. Why? Because you didn't fit the profile of a troublemaker. And I thought this would have been the first and the last time you would ever be called to my office. But a week later, you sat in that exact same chair again. And I would think that maybe you were going through a rough time and just needed someone to talk to. But you completely blocked me from day one. And now we're here, almost three years later, knowing each other pretty well and I have to admit I was wrong about you. You may have not fit the profile of a troublemaker but you sure turned out to be my most nerve wrecking case."

"You're welcome!" was Kais only reply to that.

"You don't understand, boy. This was not a complement. It was basically my last try to make you see that you cannot keep up your reign of terror in this school. I am not going to let you continue this. From this day forward your actions will have consequences. "

"Mr. Bright as you have just stated we know each other pretty well. This is why I cannot take your announcement seriously. If you wanted to punish me for my actions you could have done so a long time ago, but you didn't. I actually have a lot of respect for you, in comparison to your colleagues, but please don't make a fool out of yourself. We both know that you won't punish me for anything. And even if you do I will just continue to do whatever I like, and you know that. I just wished you would start accepting that I am a lost cause. Accept that you can't safe everyone that walks your halls and that it is okay. I am fine and I will be fine, I promise."

"If you would understand the meaning of school and the job of teachers, you would understand why I cannot accept it at all."

"Did my father put you up to this? Because, I have to say, we had way better talks back in the day when you did not let my father command you to look after me."

"Your father has nothing to do with any of my work. Especially my work with you, young man." Mr. Bright started to sound annoyed. Oh, yes. Kai's scheme had turned out right how he wanted it.

"Then why is it that you can't leave me alone?"

"Because there are laws. Because I take my job seriously and because I still have hope to find out what bothers you so much that you have to act out like this! I just want to help you, Malachai, that's all. Because that is my job." Mr. Bright would have looked menacing to others but Kai had seen this face too often to get scared. Then Mr. Bright resumed "Have you ever thought about your future, Malachai?"

"Oh god, not that again!" Kai hid his face in his palm to avoid looking at Mr. Bright. He hated it the most when he brought that theme up.

"Oh yes, that again. Because you do realize your potential, don't you? If you would put just a little bit more effort into school every college in the country would be fighting each other over you and offer you the best scholarships they can, because you are a smart boy! You are more than that. You might be the smartest kid I ever had in this school. But your attitude is going to get you nowhere. You have to start taking action otherwise you won't go to college at all."

"Yeah, maybe I don't even want to go. Did no one ever think of that?!" Kai was angry now. He had this conversation with way too many people already and he was annoyed by it.

"Than what would you want to do after school? There is not that much time left. And to be honest, I can't see you anywhere else but in a good school. Brown, Yale, Stanford. This is actually an opportunity for you."

"Be sure, I have known about my opportunities since I was born." Kai turned his head to the window on the right side of the room. Outside he saw a bunch of students walking back inside the building to head to their next class. Some of them were laughing, some looked tired. Kai didn't care about any of them.

"You do know there are ways for me to help you figure out what you want to do in the future, right? This is what I am here for. Just say a word; it has to come from you because I can't help you if you don't say anything."

Kai looked back at his headmaster "Wow, you are really committed to your job. Maybe you should take a break from it. Seems like your priorities are not in line. Maybe you should take your wife and make a nice little trip around Europe, just to relax a little." Kai said in a mocking tone.

"THIS is not a game, Mr. Parker. I am not kidding. I will see that you are finally taken responsible for your actions. I just want you to know that your life in this school is not going to be as easy as you are used to."

Kai nodded and pretended to be thinking about what Mr. Bright had just said. But of course the two of them had spent way too much time together so he was not fooled by his move.

"So what are you gonna do? Kick me off the school? You and I both know this is not going to happen. And my test results are too good to make me redo the year. And if you can't to either of those things… I don't think that I need to be too afraid. Can I go now?"

"There are more ways of punishment I can choose from then just those two, be aware of that. So, I give you permission to leave my office and go to your next class! If I have to hear that you left the building I will start my measures right away."

Kai rose from the seat and headed to the door. This conversation was just as useless as all the others before that. He did not take anything Mr. Bright had told him serious. When he opened the door, Mr. Bright stopped him again.

"One more thing: I saw you talk to Ms. Bennet outside. Since when are you two on the talking basis? Are you friends?"

"I don't think it is any of your business what my connection to Bonnie Bennet is. She is just as interesting as watching a tomato turn red. She can barely talk to the people she actually knows and likes because she is so shy. So I'd say my interest in her is somewhere between attending school and checking if Mitchell Wonderson is still mad at me for breaking his nose three years ago."

"Hm, interesting." Mr. Bright stated. "I heard she kind of made a scene this morning."

Kai turned to look at his headmaster. So that little incident had also raised the teachers' interests?  
"I don't think you know what really happened, sir."

"Wanna fill me in then?"

"I'd rather not, because I am already late for my class and you just told me to start being responsible about my education. So, I will just go!" With these words Kai stepped out of the office and closed the door behind him.

They day had turned out to be huge freaking joke and that conversation had made him pretty mad. So he ignored what Mr. Bright had said and went to the cafeteria to see if any of his pals would still be there. He saw Brian and Zach hanging around and nodded to them to indicate they should come to him.

They rose and headed to him.

"Hey, pal. Where have you been all this time?" Zach asked in his usual monotone voice he got from smoking pot all the time.

"Bright's office. The dude tried to brainwash me again. Let's get out of here; I'd really like to get wasted." Kai quickly explained.

"Well, that sounds more like it." Brian smiled and punched Kai lightly on the shoulder as he headed to the entrance. Zach only nodded and followed Brian's lead. Kai turned around and followed his friends.

The day had finally come. Her presentation about photosynthesis that she had spent hours and hours preparing was due today. She was pretty nervous about it because biology wasn't her strong suit. She needed this presentation to be good to get a good mark. She was in no way endangered to redo the year but she was a perfectionist and didn't want to have any bad marks in her certification.

Lianne and Dave had outdone themselves with the visuals. They had noticed that Bonnie did all the hard work so they decided to do a good job of their own. But in the end the visuals would only be a small part of the mark they would get but Bonnie still appreciated the gesture.

Shortly before the class would start Bonnie went to the girl's room. She had waited as long as possible so all the students would already be in their classrooms or at their lockers. She was trying to avoid running into anyone. Even though she had to admit that her plan had some flaws, because she was actually only trying to avoid running into one particular person and this person gave a crab about staying in the hallways longer or being late for class. That person lived in his own rhythm.

She hadn't seen Kai around for the last week. After their encounter at Mr. Bright's office he hadn't attended school. Bonnie had seen Jo, his twin sister, once talking to another of his siblings. She was close enough to hear them talking about Kai being home. The other sibling, Bonnie thought she remembered his name to be Joey, asked Jo weather he was sick but he had to laugh so hard that Bonnie understood that he knew his brother was nowhere near being sick. He had probably been drinking his ass off the past week. Jo had hit Joey on the back of his head to make clear she didn't like the way Joey was talking about his older brother.

After that Bonnie went to her locker. She had to tell herself that she did not give a crab about Kai Parkers whereabouts or anything Kai Parker. But right now, when she was cautiously walking the hallways of the school, she had to question that.

She didn't expect him to show up. In the past Kai had been MIA from school for a longer period every once in a while. She had seen all his friend during the past week but he had never been with them. And he had not shown up to history class.

If she would run into him now, she felt that he was going to make her so unsure of herself that she couldn't do the presentation. As she reached the girl's room Bonnie sighed out load. She was halfway safe from the Parker kid. Bonnie went to a booth. She didn't have to wait for one to be free like she normally would, because everyone was already in class. She was alone. Or so she thought.

When Bonnie was about to close the booth door, she heard a girl talking. At first she couldn't make out what the girl was talking about- or who she was talking to. She seemed to be alone and not recognize that Bonnie had entered. Bonnie figured the girl had to be talking to someone on the phone. Bonnie didn't want to have an awkward meeting later so she kept very quiet to not draw attention to herself.

Right about now she could hear the girl more clearly and could make out that she was sobbing.

"Can you come here? I really need to…" She was interrupted by the person on the other end.

"Well, can't you pull yourself together? I really need you right now." The girl tried to hold it together, Bonnie could tell. The person on the other end was probably not too pleased with the way that call had turned out.

"I don't care, you know that. I'm begging you. Please, come pick me up." This time it was only a short break after she started to talk again. Now she sounded angrier.

"Are you serious? I have your back all the time! And now I need you, just this once! And you can't get your ass up and come pick me up?" Silence.

"You know exactly that I can't go alone! And no, I cannot go after school, imagine if Dad finds out. He is going to kill me!" She sounded really scared. Bonnie was feeling really bad for eavesdropping on that poor girl, because this conversation was making the impression to be a really serious one. Bonnie thought she might just try to get out of the booth and get back to class, because it seemed like the girl on the phone would take a whole lot more time to finish her conversation and Bonnie needed to do the presentation. Just as she was about to leave the booth she heard the girl leave hers and walk to the sink. Bonnie stayed where she was.

"You know what, asshole? Just forget I called you. I am going to figure something out. It is just so nice to know my own brother it there for me when I need him. Have a nice life!" She yelled into her phone. Something about her voice seemed familiar to Bonnie. She knew this girl; at least she had heard her talk more than once because her voice sounded familiar. And then it came to her. 'Oh, shit. This wasn't happening!' Bonnie thought.

Bonnie heard the girl open the bathroom door but she didn't hear it shut, so she figured the girl did not hang up on her brother just yet. And then she heard her talk again. With the familiar voice of the head girl of her school.

"I'm in the girl's room on the first floor." She sounded relieved.

"Alright, I'll be there. Please hurry, Kai." And with that she hung up. Bonnie was scared to her bone now. She overheard Josette Parker on the phone with her bad excuse of a twin brother and she had a serious problem. Right now she could hear Jo starting to cry again. Bonnie wished for Jo to leave because Bonnie was already late for her class and the presentation she had to do. For once she wished for Kai to hurry up and get to the school fast, so Jo would leave.

Bonnie sighed silently. Then she felt her phone vibrate. Panic rose in her again. The phone was silent but she had the vibration mode on and in a very silent bathroom it was almost as loud as a ringtone would have been. Bonnie tried to grab her phone in her pocket but she was too clumsy and the phone fell to the ground.  
'Well done, Bonnie. No way she did not hear that!' she was lecturing herself. She finally got a hold of her phone and declined the call so the phone would shut up. She just saw the name of the caller for a short time. It had been Dave. God no!

Bonnie was thinking about her next move. If she was lucky Jo would just leave in the next 10 seconds and she could slip out of the girl's room without getting caught. But then she wasn't the luckiest person these days and 10 seconds later she heard Jo move in her direction.

"Hello? Is someone there?" the girl asked.

Shit! Now Bonnie had just one chance to get out of this situation unharmed. She pushed the flush and pretended to unlock her booth.

She looked around the corner to see Jo staring in her general direction. Now that she could see the girl she was a little shocked. She was aware that she had been crying but the naturally pretty face of Jo Parker had been suffering a lot due to her crying. Her makeup was blurred but Bonnie could see that Jo had been trying to fix that. Her eyes were red from all the tears – she must have spent longer that these few moment crying – and so was her face, probably due to her annoyance by her dumb ass brother.

Bonnie decided to ignore all that and put all effort into looking as innocent as possible.

"Are you talking to me?" Bonnie asked with her eyes wide open to seem surprised by Jo's reaction to her.

"Oh, it's you." Jo turned her back on Bonnie and faced the mirror again to fix her face with a little water. Bonnie wondered what her reaction meant. She had never talked to Josette Parker before and she was pretty sure she didn't have a reputation or anything so Jo had probably never heard of her either. So what was that "Oh, it's you!" all about? Sure, Jo had probably seen Bonnie around but even though they were in the same age group and had attended the same schools for years now, the two girls had never shared a class. Jo was one of the popular girls. No cheerleader, she was too smart for that. But everybody liked her, she was the sunshine student and the schools head girl.

"How long have you been in here?" Jo's voice reminded Bonnie of the situation she was in. Jo had turned around again to watch Bonnie carefully and a little judgy. Her gaze was almost disgusted and Bonnie wondered what went on with this girl.

Then she remembered that she seemingly had been to the toilet a few seconds ago and Jo was expecting her to wash her hands. Bonnie did that the second she realized it and Jo resumed to her fixture. Incredible how a few drops of water could change a pretty girl that looked a little damaged into her normal perfect self again.

"Not long. I hurried inside because I have to do a presentation just about now." Bonnie answered the question Jo had asked.

She was still eying Bonnie closely. Bonnie didn't know if Jo believed her but some part of her brain must have considered the possibility that she might have just overheard Bonnie's arrival because she was now nodding to herself.

Bonnie dried her hands and was heading to the door as Jo blocked her way. Bonnie looked surprised because she had thought that maybe she could just get away with this. But apparently she was wrong.

"I don't know what or how much you witnessed, but I just want to make sure that I can trust you to tell nobody about it." Jo's voice was harsh. She sounded a little like her brother just now but not completely. Kai had more ice and casualness in his tone and Jo still sounded somewhat… nice. Bonnie thought about pretending to not know what Jo was talking about but she already had the feeling that Jo suspected something so she decided to admit to just this much.

"Of course. Are you okay, though? Is there something I can do for you?" Bonnie said.

Jo gave Bonnie a bright smile, a smile she had seen on her so many times. But right now it didn't fit her at all but it took Jo no effort to put it up. That made Bonnie wonder how many times the smile she was wearing in public was indeed fake. Maybe she wasn't too different from her brother after all. Maybe the Parker kids were a little damaged, all of them.

"Nope, everything is alright. I got it all covered but thanks for your concern, really. I appreciate it. Don't you have a presentation to hold?" Jo asked with a worried expression of a big sister on her face.

Bonnie panicked a little and said a quick goodbye to Jo. She stopped at the door and took a short look back at the dark haired girl. She was watching Bonnie through the mirror and smiled at her.

"Good luck to you!" She said in a honey like voice.

'You too' was what Bonnie would have liked to say but instead she only said "Thanks." And with those words Bonnie rushed to the biology classroom.

With quick steps he rushed to the girl's room on the first floor. His head was pounding heavier with every stride he made. He was getting angrier by the second. Jo hadn't been in the parking lot as they had agreed on over the phone. He thought it had been clear that he didn't want to search for her in the whole school as he agreed to pick her up and drive her to the damn appointment.

He opened the door to the girl's room without any second thought. He didn't care if any girl would scream at him to get out, even though he was pretty sure there would be no one in there but- hopefully- his idiotic sister.

He saw her right when he set his first step in the room.

"Good, you're still alive. I thought that maybe you were killed on your way to the parking lot. That would have explained why you weren't there five minutes ago, at least. But now I must wonder if you lost your ability to think." Kai said with rising annoyance.

Jo glared at him and she put all of her own anger into it, Kai could tell. Another girl that was just coming out of a booth was looking at him with eyes ripped open. He ignored her.

"Sorry that I engrossed five minutes more of your valuable time, mister perfect, but my head is not exactly in the game today." Jo replied.

"And is that my fault?" Kai had really tried to be nicer to his sister due to her situation. He really resolved to be his best self today because he really wanted to be there for her but the fact that he was hung-over and was not to keen to spent hours waiting with her and holding her hand, plus the fact that she wasn't were she said she would be made it nearly impossible for him to contain himself.

Jo fizzled snippily and turned back to the mirror. The other girl was washing her hand next to Jo but kept her gaze on Kai through the mirror.

Kai sighed. "So, can we go?" he asked a little nicer now.

"Just a second." Jo replied.

"Jo!" Kai said warningly.

"I said just a second, just go and wait outside." Jo was screaming at him. Kai shook his head and went to wait for his sister in the hallway. A few seconds later the other girl left the bathroom and tried not to look into Kai face as she did. Good for her, because in his mood right now he would have probably said something really mean if she had bothered to look at him.

Then after what had felt like hours, Jo came out too. During his wait a few teachers had crossed by him and had looked at him inquiring. He didn't know any of them but of course they knew him. Some of his teachers had probably told them that he hadn't been in school this week and seeing him now made them wonder.

Jo turned left to head to the parking lot and Kai followed her with quick steps. He needed to get out of here.

"You look terrible." Jo stated on their way to the car.

"Thanks, I can only give that back."

"Well, maybe you should consider slowing down on the alcohol. I heard it does wonder for the health." Kai looked at his sister and she was fake-smiling at him.

"And I heard that giving advice to others if you can't even help yourself isn't helping you with your reputation, my sweet Josette." Now Jo was back to glaring at him. Good, he could handle her better if she wasn't as worried about him. It was his job to worry about her today.

They reached his car without running into anyone else. He clicked on his keys and the doors of the car unlocked. He smoothly slipped onto the driver's seat and waited for Jo to take her own. Then he started the engine.

"Are you sure you are good to drive?" Jo asked again with her concerned big sister voice.

"Jo, you called me here to get you to the freaking counseling appointment. If I wasn't able to drive I wouldn't be here alright? I have a hangover not the pest."

"Alright, no need to be grumpy." She searched for something in her bag and got her phone out.

He was turning left and leaving the school area to get to the main road.

"Did anybody see you?" he asked her now.

"Not sure, there was this girl in the girl's room. Don't know how much she heard about our conversation."

"The scared one? How long do you girls need to pee?" Kai was thinking about the girl he saw in the bathroom, shocked to her core to see a boy in the girl's room.

"No, not that one. Your new friend."

"My what now?" Kai was confused and gave Jo a quick look after he refocused his eyes on the road.

"The one that stood up to you on the first day back, Bonnie was her name?" Kai could hear the grin widening on Jo's face even though he didn't take a look. But he knew his twin sister, she always interpreted thing the wrong way. And she never gave up the hope that some girl would rise from the flavor of the month status to something more. But if it came to him, Bonnie was nowhere near being anything like that.

"Bonnie is definitely not a friend." He briefly paused. "So you're sure she won't say anything? Because I can make sure her mouth is shut." Kai had to grin a little while he said that.

"Positive, I don't even think she would know what to tell. And please, don't do your usual toying around with her. She is actually really nice and she doesn't deserve someone like you to screw up her life."

"I don't know why you would say something like that but I can assure you I have no plan to involve Bonnie Bennet any further into my life."

"Oh, please. I know you better than anyone else, Kai. And I can read the signs; this is how it always starts."

They had reached their destination. Kai parked the car and Jo stepped out. Kai stayed seated a little while longer. Jo was right. She did know him best. But he did not have any special interest in Bonnie Bennet, but his twin sister might have just made him aware of the challenge she would present and he was in desperate need of some distraction.

As he got out of his car and followed Jo inside the building he was grinning wickedly and started to form a plan to lure Bonnie Bennet into his game.

 **Author's note: So, here you go. The third chapter is a little different. I wasn't going to switch perspectives but I felt the need to tell a part of the story Bonnie wasn't a part of and there was just no other option than to take Kai's perspective. I will tap into his perspective every now and then when I feel like I need to but Bonnie's perspective will he my priority. Hope you still liked it. Pleas, leave your opinion, good or bad or any ideas. I appreciate it all. It may be a while until I update my other story because I feel more inspired to do this one right now. But I promise to get back to Obstacles in due time. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	4. Chapter Four: All Eyes On

Chapter Four: All Eyes On

NO WAY IN HELL!  
WHAT THE FUCK!  
YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!

These were the thoughts that ran through Bonnie's mind right now, or at least the more child-friendly ones. No way in hell was this really happening. How could life be so unfair? What did she do to deserve something like this? What went wrong that in the past weeks she got sucked into so much drama?

She was sitting in history class and was staring, yes staring, at Ms. Gibbens. She had just announced the kind of assignment they would have to do this term. It was going to be a presentation about a special battle of the Second World War. It would be 50% of the mark they would get, so they should all put their best effort into it. Everybody had to do it, no exception. Ms. Gibbens had discussed the assignment with Mr. Bright and the two had agreed that they would grand the students one partner in this. But there was a catch. They wouldn't be able to decide who their partner would be but Ms. Gibbens would match the two students she thought most fitting to do it together. And after that she would read the list of the partner she found suitable.

Up until that point Bonnie had only felt bugged but right now she was furious. When Ms. Gibbens reach Bonnie's name on the list she looked Bonnie directly in the eyes and told her, with all sincerity that her partner for this important assignment was going to be Kai Parker. She couldn't believe her luck these days.

Kai hadn't even been there to hear the good news. Bonnie could imagine the way he would have turned around to look at her with his smug little face and wave at her like a ten year old would do. God, she hated even the imagination of him.

Ms. Gibbens must have been kidding. Bonnie had just finished a presentation that was meant to be done by three people and she had to prepare it on her own. Turned out the presentation itself was good, which was basically all because of Bonnie, but she had spent so much time with this that she wasn't looking forward to do that again anytime soon. But that is how it's going to be because Kai wasn't really known for his contribution in group works. Plus, with her luck he wouldn't even turn up before the presentation was due and wouldn't even know about this assignment.

And Bonnie had been looking forward to spend some time with Caroline and Elena and of course Jeremy back in Virginia. 'Thanks, Ms. Gibbens.' Bonnie thought angrily and promised herself to buy a voodoo doll and try it out with Ms. Gibbens face.

She had already moved on with the topic of the day. Bonnie didn't listen to anything she was saying and was surprised when two students got up to go fetch the old TV from the media room down the hall. Apparently Ms. Gibbens wanted to give them a little impression about the Second World War and wanted to show _Schindler's List_ to them. Great, Bonnie had seen this one already. So she could use the whole hour to imagine diverse way of making Ms. Gibbens suffer for this.

Bonnie was surprised about her own reaction to this news. Of course this hadn't been the ideal way to go down but Kai was actually really smart and if she could get him to contribute she might actually have a competent partner for once. But the prospect of spending time with him made that advantage look like horse poop.

While the class was waiting for the TV to roll in the door was opened and someone else entered the class. He was wearing tight black jeans that were rolled up on its ends so that his black boots would be shown and a light blue shirt combined with a dark hoodie. His eyes were hidden by a Ray Ban Sunglass, even though the January sun wasn't as strong for it to have any use. He was holding his jacket loosely over his right shoulder and headed straight to a free seat without a word of exculpation.

"Oh, it is so nice of you to join us today, Mr. Parker." Ms. Gibbens said sarcastically.

"My pleasure." He responded arrogantly. He was sitting two rows and three seats away from Bonnie and was putting his sunglasses way when he answered Ms. Gibbens.

"Care about enlighten me on the reason of your delay, Mr. Parker?" Bonnie could tell she was being annoyed by Kai already.

"Not really, no. Just be happy that I actually made it today, Ms. Gibbens." His voice was sweet like chocolate but his words were just as mocking as always. Ms. Gibbens was about to explode as the two students came back with the TV. She just gave Kai an angry look and focused on giving us the task for watching the film. Bonnie watched Kai relax in his seat. She could see that he looked confident.

He then turned his head and found Bonnie's eyes directly. Like he had known exactly where she had been in the room. Bonnie was embarrassed that he had caught her staring at him so she quickly looked down on her paper. She felt his gaze on her for as long as Ms. Gibbens was talking. When she started the film he finally focused his attention somewhere else. Bonnie sighed from relief.

During the whole film, or the parts that Ms. Gibbens had chosen for them, she didn't focus on the film or the task. She was watching Kai this whole time and imagined how in the world she was going to tell him they had to do the assignment together and she expected cooperation and work from him because she was not going to get a bad mark on this.

While she was watching Kai she realized that he wasn't paying much attention either. Not that that was unusual but she had never paid so much attention to his actions before.

He lost his interest very fast, after only 5 minutes of the film he was staring outside the window and playing with his pen. 20 minutes into the film he had started to write something on his paper but Bonnie was 100% positive that it had nothing to do with the task Ms. Gibbens had given them. Bonnie realized she had to pay at least a little attention to the film and started to write down a few things she caught from the scene that was just playing. She startled a little when Monica Blanc nudged her inconspicuously. She was handing her a folded paper. Bonnie took it and saw her name up on the front.

She opened the paper just to close it back up immediately. So this was what Kai had been focusing on. A letter to her. She reopened it and read the few lines he had written in a very clear handwriting.

'Hey BonBon,  
haven't seen you around much. Mostly because I wasn't around. How did you presentation go? And don't you think you should focus your attention more on the film than on me? I know I am way more interesting but I figured I don't want to be responsible of screwing up somebody else's education.  
Kai'

Bonnie looked up from the letter only to see that Kai was watching her. He was triumphantly grinning like he had just found out a secret about her. She only glared at him and tore the paper in half. He made a mock-disappointed face and he put his right hand to his chest to show Bonnie how much she had hurt him with that gesture.

Bonnie was annoyed and tried to not look at him for the rest of the lesson. She couldn't focus on the film thought, but she didn't care.

5 minutes before the end of the lesson Ms. Gibbens stopped the film and asked two students to get the TV back into the media room. Because everybody was already packing their things and no volunteer was signaling his or her willingness Ms. Gibbens asked Monica and Bonnie to get the TV back. Bonnie sighted. She packed her things and went to the front desk to get Ms. Gibbens keys.

Everyone else was already leaving as Ms. Gibbens reminded them to find a topic for their presentations and then she focused her attention on Kai once more and asked him to stay a while longer after everyone was out. Bonnie took Ms. Gibbens keys and hurried to the TV. She didn't want to have another encounter with Kai. And now that Ms. Gibbens was talking to him she might also tell him the good news about his new partner.

"So who was this letter from?" Monica asked Bonnie when they reached the media room and Bonnie tried to open it with Ms. Gibbens keys. She hoped to give Monica the keys after that so she wouldn't need to get back there.

"Rosline, she only wanted to congratulate me on my new partner for the assignment." Bonnie lied because she wasn't going to admit that Kai had written her a letter. She wasn't going to start a rumor about that.

Monica looked convinced what made Bonnie realize she had gotten quiet good at lying. The two girls pushed the TV back inside the room and Bonnie wanted to ask Monica, if she could get the keys back to Ms. Gibbens. But Monica was about to ask Bonnie the same question. She had to write an English test in the next class and she really wanted to use the time left to get over her notes once more.

Bonnie was just too good for this world. She didn't have another reason not to go back to Ms. Gibbens class then not wanting to see Kai again. But she was going to have to meet him sooner than later and she nodded to Monica and wished her good luck. On her way back to the classroom she was trying not to over think whatever she was going to experience. She had hoped the door would still be closed but it was wide open. Everyone was already at the cafeteria or someplace else so the corridor was empty and silent and Bonnie could hear Ms. Gibbens annoyed but calm voice.

So he was still with her, hearing another lecture about his behavior Bonnie knew wasn't going to have any effect on him. She breathed in and out once more and stepped into the room.

"I was informed by Mr. Bright about the way your amorous adventured were going to be handled from now on, so be aware that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated in my class any longer. Understood?" Ms. Gibbens was leaning onto her desk and watching Kai closely, who was sitting on one of the front row tables with crossed legs. He looked pretty amused even though this conversation couldn't have been pleasant for him. He has to be very jaded already.

He didn't say anything but looked up to Bonnie standing in the doorway. Ms. Gibbens followed his gaze and saw her too.

"Ah, good that you are here, Ms. Bennet. Come in, please." She said.

God, was this going to turn out to be a lecture for her, too? Bonnie went to her and handed her the keys. Ms. Gibbens gestured for her to take a seat and Bonnie stood in front of her with a little distance to Kai.

"So, as you already know you are going to be partners in this assignment. I already told Mr. Parker that I expect him to contribute to the presentation and that I will ask you Ms. Bennet to give me a full report on his workload afterwards."

Bonnie was a little surprised by Ms. Gibbens words. So her teacher did know that having Kai as a partner was more of a disadvantage rather than a help.

"Oookay." Was all Bonnie had to say to that. She realized Kai was watching her with his usual smirk on his face. He looked back at Ms. Gibbens as she started to address him again.

"I am going to admit it was not my idea putting you two together in this project. Even though I know Ms. Bennet can handle it, it was Mr. Bright who advised me to match you two together."

Kai was bristling with annoyance and contempt. Ms. Gibbens ignored him and kept on with her speech.

"This is nowhere near being an experiment or a punishment for you, Ms. Bennet. It is just the consequence of Mr. Parkers actions and the announced measures that the college will be taking now."

Bonnie didn't understand, but Kai seemed to understand and he didn't seem to believe what he just heard.

"You got to be kidding me. This is the master plan? The horrible consequences Mr. Bright was talking about? I think I have to laugh. How is this punishing me? I have to do an assignment with someone, an assignment everyone in the class has to do. Wooooh! Good move." Kai was clearly not convinced by the purpose of his punishment.

"You are mistaken, Mr. Parker. It is not the assignment that is your "punishment" but the consultation with Ms. Bennet about your contribution and cooperation. We knew you can do the assignment easily but we are trying to focus on the way you are actually working with people. Maybe you are going to realize the importance of participation when someone else is involved. So know that the grade you get out of this will be highly linked to Ms. Bennet's assessment."

"Oh, really? Is that how the American school system is working nowadays, hm?" Kai was now looking to the ground. This posture had nothing to do with bashfulness but solely with calming himself down. Bonnie knew Kai must be furious. And she could actually understand. She would be too.

"Try to see this as our way of teaching you the important things in school and in life. Don't worry Ms. Bennet, I know you will do a good presentation but I will also have in mind what kind of situation you are in." She addressed the last part to Bonnie only and indicated to them both that the conversation was over.

Kai looked back at her angrily and stood up from the table he had been sitting on.  
"Nice method but I doubt it will change anything." He stated when he passed by Ms. Gibbens desk and sounded anything but impressed or insecure about any of this. Bonnie on the other hand felt exactly like that.

As Kai walked passed her he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her outside of Ms. Gibbens office with Bonnie being very surprised by his sudden need to include her into his actions.

They walked a few feet in silence, Kai not letting go of her arm. With every step they took she saw him calm down a little more. He then stopped as they reached the already filled cafeteria and let go of her. Bonnie was now standing in the foot line right before Kai. She didn't dare look at Kai directly. She was afraid of what he was going to do next to make her feel uncomfortable. But she couldn't escape him either. She looked around to see if there was anyone near she could give a sign to help her out of this situation but she saw all her friends sitting at a table in the back of the cafeteria. So there was no help in sight.

"So how did your presentation go?" Kai got through Bonnie's thick thoughts. She was surprised at his calmness and the random topic he had addressed.

"Good, I guess." Bonnie said hesitantly.

"You guess? Haven't you been there?" He was mocking her now.

"Of course I was. I was a good presentation but why do you even bother? It is none of your business."

"Might not be, but my sister had told me about your encounter and she mentioned your presentation. Was that the one you had to leave your baby boo for earlier this month?" He didn't sound mocking or arrogant. He sounded more like he really wanted to know.

Bonnie got herself a salad, the only thing in here that wasn't fried, and a soda and put it on her tray. She watched Kai take an apple and some fries and they went on in the line. She was unsettled by the thought of being a topic in a conversation between the two Parker twins. She imagined how her name randomly popped up in a conversation but couldn't quiet picture it. It was too weird.

"Yes, as it happens that was the one." Bonnie stated.

"Ah, what exactly was it about?"

Bonnie looked at Kai with a confused look. What was all that Smalltalk about?

"What? I am just trying to make conversation." Kai stated. Funny enough Bonnie didn't actually mind that at all. This was the first real conversation she had had with Kai. The first one where he wasn't mocking her and expressed anything close to real maturity. If he kept that up, working with him might not turn out to be too bad.

"It was about photosynthesis." She replied.

"Hm, interesting. Can't imagine all the fun you must have had preparing this." He said ironically.

"Yah, not exactly. Biology isn't exactly my strong suit. It was pretty annoying doing all of the work by myself."

"Why, I thought you said it was a group project? Where were your team mates?"

"Well… I gave them other tasks. They have more talent with the visual stuff." Bonnie was trying to describe the situation as nice as she could without making Dave and Lianne look like idiots.

"Ah, I know what you mean!" He grabbed a fork and went around Bonnie with his tray in one hand and made his way to the tables. Bonnie followed him out of the line and hoped he would leave her alone now. She thought he was going to sit with his friends in the opposite direction as she was going to head to sit with hers. Because she thought it was rude to just leave him here without saying a word she turned around to him.

But once more she underestimated Kai Parkers craftiness, because he was not prepared to let her go just yet. He headed to a free table in the middle of the cafeteria. Normally the drama club would sit here because it is the table with the most spotlight, but because of some performance of some very fancy drama group somewhere up north the whole club got an exoneration from the school day today. Because no other group at the school actually wanted this much attention the table was still empty even though most of the students were already inside the cafeteria. And now Kai was gesturing her to take a seat at said table.

He was good, she had to admit that. He knew exactly how to make her feel uncomfortable and he knew exactly that she wasn't going to leave him sitting there alone because she was not the kind of person to embarrass people like that. So she headed to the table, very aware of the fact that the whole school was going to notice with whom she was going to have her lunch today.

As she sat down she could feel all the eyes in the room slowly turn to her and Kai and she imagined that right about now the whispers were about to start. She felt really uncomfortable and she looked at Kai only to see that this whole scene didn't affect him at all. Maybe he wasn't even trying to make her feel uncomfortable; he just simply didn't know that she would be affected by this situation.

"So what is the plan for the history assignment, any ideas?" He kept his chit-chat voice in place.

Bonnie looked around her and realized that more and more people were watching the two and she wanted to creep somewhere under the table. When she looked back at Kai she realized she still had to answer his question.

"Ehm, I don't know I am not exactly an expert on battles of the Second World War, are you?" she finally managed to say.

"Hm, wouldn't say I am an expert but I can think of one or two." He was biting his apple.

"So you are actually willing to help me on this?" Bonnie asked disbelieving.

"Please, Bonnie. What do you think of me? I might not have the best track record when it comes to attendance but I always pass my exams and assignments, so be sure that you are not going to do everything by yourself." He smiled at her and Bonnie wasn't sure if it was an honest one or a contemptuous one. She didn't believe him completely. She would have to actually see him work on this to believe it and even then she might think she was dreaming.

"Alright, then what are your ideas?" Bonnie decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"What about the battle of Stalingrad? Not a nice topic but I guess the Second World War is not going to offer any pretty stories."

"Stalingrad it is then." She didn't want him to think that she was afraid of gruesome battles. She didn't care what battle they took, there wasn't going to be any pleasure in this project anyways.

Kai smiled at her again and she could swear this smile was honest this time.

"Can you promise me something?" Bonnie asked after a short silent period where they both ate their meals.

"Depends." Kai didn't lift his gaze from his fries as he replied.

"Can try not to be too much of a pain in the ass and actually be helpful on this?" Bonnie put in all her sincerity she could raise. She didn't know why but she had the feeling if she made clear that she was serious about this project he would get it and he would actually do what she asked of him. She didn't know why but she just knew if she asked him he wasn't going to be any problem. Not because of the special attention he was under, she knew he gave a crap about that, but because she asked him.

Kai looked up and there was nothing mocking in his eyes or voice as he said "I promise."

Bonnie gave him a shy smile. She was content. She was going to be able to work with him.

After a while of random small talk the lunch break was nearly over. Everybody around them rose and got their trays back. Bonnie realized the looks the others were giving them and she started to feel uncomfortable again.

Kai eyed her intently then he got up himself.  
"You know if you keep on relying on everyone's opinion about you, you're never going to get out of that shell of yours. That's not going to make you happy. Just give a fuck about what the other think and your life is going to be way easier." He was now watching down on her with just a splash of mockery and Bonnie knew that he had chosen this table on purpose, to make her feel uncomfortable and all she had been so sure of about the way she was going to work with him, was now becoming a variable again. She was glaring up at him and he realized she had seen through his intention. He was laughing now.

Bonnie got up and went to put her tray back and she felt him follow her.

"Oh, come on Bonster, you have to admit I am right. This was just to help you feel more secure." He still sounded like he had to fight back a giggle.

She kept ignoring him for the rest of the way to her locker, where he was following her to also. He had linked his arm with hers so she couldn't escape him and was babbling about this and that but Bonnie didn't listen.

But he regained her attention when he suddenly let go of her and stopped in the middle of the hallway, only to grab some other girls arm. Bonnie was annoyed and wanted to keep going when she saw who he had grabbed. It was Jo. She was with two friends and they were headed in the direction of the entrance.

"Where are you girls off to?" he asked with a charming voice and Jo's friends started to giggle. But Bonnie realized his intense look he had stuck on his twin sister. She couldn't help but notice once more how alike they looked. Dark hair, hers long and straightened, his short and tousled. Same cheeks, hers a little more rosy due to her makeup and the same blue/grey eyes, only hers were filled with a lot more warmth than his.

"The gym!" One of Jo's friends said giggling. "We have to get ready in summer shape, right ladies?"

The other friend giggled too but Jo only smiled lightly.

Kai's gaze was still stuck on his sister. His eyes were unreadable but Jo looked right back in them. It was a weird scene to witness. Jo's friends didn't notice the intensity of the conversation the twins were apparently having with their eyes, talking about something that only the two of them knew about, because they were busy laughing their asses off. But Bonnie saw it. The connection the two had, a connection only twins could have and she was fascinated by it. She didn't have any siblings so she wouldn't know how it must feel like, but that was also the reason she was fascinated by what was happening in front of her.

After a few more seconds their eye conversation was over, Kai let go of Jo's arm and stepped away from her just a little bit. He still looked at her but his expression was now angrier. Bonnie didn't know what caused this change in him.

"Care to join us, superman?" Jo's friend asked Kai. He was not letting his sister out of his sight when he replied something about his next class and taking a rain check. The two girls giggle again and Jo gave them an annoyed look.

"When are you done today?" he asked Jo.

"Three." Was her short response.

"Good. I'll wait for you in the parking lot. Don't be late!" He was pointing a finger at her and was now starting to walk away from the trio. The girls almost sang their goodbyes and Kai turned around again to walk in the opposite direction.

"Wow, they couldn't make it more obvious that they are into you!" Bonnie caught up to Kai again.

"Whatever." He said coldly. He was pissed about something Bonnie could tell and she was sure it had something to do with Jo.

"What's wrong with you? You've been so cheerful a second ago and now you barely look at me." She didn't know why it bothered her.

"Doesn't matter, Bonnie. You should get to your class." He stopped in front of her locker and was about to leave her on her own but Bonnie grabbed his elbow and tired to turn him around to her. A somewhat weird gesture for someone she barely knew or liked. But she felt the need to make him feel better.

"Hey, what is that all about, hem? Are you alright?" She asked him with serious concern.

He was confused by that, she could see it in his eyes. He was watching Bonnie's hand on his elbow and then looked into her face. Bonnie let go of him because she didn't know if she might have overstepped a boundary.

"I'm good. I just… I have to get going." He stated emotionless and turned around. Bonnie watched him until she lost him in the crowd. She was confused now herself. Just this morning she could have punched someone for having to do the assignment with Kai but right now she kind of felt bad for him. She shook her head to get it back into reality. She went to her locker and got her stuff for the next class. On her way to the room she thought about Kai and how she was probably never going to figure him out.

 **Author's note: For the lack of Bonkai in the last chapter I am now giving you this one. Up until now I am still building the story and the characters. The story progresses from day to day, if not on paper than in my head. I really hope you like it, I kind of feel more attached to this story already. Please leave a comment. I would love to hear your opinions. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	5. Chapter Five: Collective Responsibility

Chapter Five: Collective Responsibility

"Oh! My! God!" Faye had rushed through the classroom to get to Bonnie's table and practically threw herself on it. Now she was half leaning onto it half lying on it. Bonnie was surprised to see her because Faye wasn't even in this course. But she was now staring expectantly into Bonnie's eyes. That entangled Bonnie because she had no idea what her friend's show was all about.

Faye Matthews was one of Bonnie's first friends in Portland. On her first day in middle school she sat next to Faye in the cafeteria. The girl had been so lively than Bonnie instantly liked her and over the years Faye hadn't lost any of her wildness. She was the extrovert of the group, a little girly at times and known by everyone in the school. She always had the latest gossip about everyone and was sometimes contributing a story for the rumor section as well due to her diverse encounters with the opposite sex.

Bonnie didn't blame her, she actually envied her a little for her bravery and self-confidence. But if Bonnie would look like Faye, maybe she would behave exactly the same way. Some people might say that Faye did not fit into their group of regulars, with her perfect long red hair and the fashion outfits, but they had been friends for so long that Bonnie didn't bother about the talk.

Her friend was still staring at her with open eyes, demanding some kind of reaction from her, but about what? No clue. Bonnie looked questioningly at Faye and saw that Liza and Perry were entering the room, too.

They were greeting Bonnie and sat next to her in the back row. Bonnie looked at them for clues about Faye's behavior.

"Don't look at me; she's been like this the whole lunch break. I think I've never seen her this quiet for this long." Liza shrugged.

"Don't listen to them. I need to know everything! Spill, Bennet!" Faye hadn't shifted her gaze from Bonnie and it was starting to feel a little uncomfortable.

"Spill what exactly?" Bonnie asked.

Faye sighted, annoyed. "Why do I have to pull everything out of you, girl? I'm talking about the obvious elephant in the room that is Malachai Parker! How the hell did you end up with that incredible slice?"

Bonnie blinked about 50 times in a row to reassure herself that Faye had actually just said that.

"Come on, Faye. Don't exaggerate. If there was something going on between Bonnie and Kai don't you think she would have mentioned something?" Perry said in his unique nasal voice and made wave with his hand.

Faye turned to look at her gay best friend and looked shocked. "Isn't that the point my dear Perry? I for one didn't even know the two of them had ever exchanged a single word and I thought that information like this would have been worth mentioning, but Ms. Bennet over here has a different opinion." Faye turned back to face Bonnie.

"There is absolutely nothing to tell, Faye. You know everything there is to know. We have history together and that's it. Today Ms. Gibbens gave us an assignment that we have to do together and that is why we were talking earlier." Bonnie was feeling like she had to defend herself. Well, she kind of had to because A: she knew that Faye had always tried to get into Kai's orbit but failed and B: she was in a relationship with Jeremy and she didn't like to be accused of having any interest in Kai.

"Naaah, that's not it. Kai Parker isn't just spending his lunch break with some random girl he has to do an assignment with. Plus, what was that stunt you pulled with him, the one that you did on the first day back? You're hiding something, Bennet. SPILL!"

"I'm not hiding anything. I don't particularly search for his presence; he just keeps popping up. I don't even like him; I am actually intimidated by him. But I think he kind of thinks it's funny to taunt me because he keeps doing it. First on the flight back to Portland; then when I met him in front of Mr. Bright's office the other day and then today by showing me off in front of the whole cafeteria."

"Ha! There it was! I knew it!" Faye pointed at Bonnie and Bonnie couldn't exactly tell if her friend was exited or angry at her. "You never told us about those encounters, Bon. What do you mean with the flight back to Portland or the thing with Mr. Bright?" she kept asking.

"Well, he was sitting next to me on my plane ride back. No idea what he did in Virginia but he suddenly was there in the seat next to me. And I did tell you about the thing with Mr. Bright. That Ms. Gibbens send me to him because I fell asleep in her class?"

"You did say that, but you failed to mention that you saw Kai there." Faye was now looking down on Bonnie with a raised eyebrow. She was trapping her long red hair behind her ear as she looked down on her.

"Well, I didn't tell you guys anything because I didn't think it would matter. I thought I would never speak to Kai again when we were back in school, but he kind of had a different plan. I would wish that everything would go back to as it was before, because I can't stand the guy but he won't leave me alone now. I thought if I kept it from you it would help me forget it ever happened."

Bonnie was looking from Faye to Liza to Perry. She had addressed her speech to all of them, even though Perry and Liza had been quiet this whole time. The two of them nodded to Bonnie reassuringly. And now that Faye heard Bonnie's point of view her expression softened too.

"Oh, dear Bonnie I wish I could swap positions with you." She now resumed to her sweet self and Bonnie knew she hadn't been quiet as mad as she had pretended to be.

"You and me both!"

"So, how is he like? I have to know everything!" Faye was almost screaming in excitement now.

"But not in the next hour, Ms. Matthews." It was Mr. Collins who had spoken. The class had started and Faye was clearly not part of it so he tried to calm the class down by suggesting that Faye would find her own class to attend. On her way out she mouthed to Bonnie 'Text me!" and then she was gone.

Bonnie sighed. Faye was an intense person to be around but she still loved her. Nevertheless, Bonnie was afraid of the hour-long phone call that she would have to have with her tonight. Faye would ask her questions about Kai Bonnie didn't have the answers to and didn't want to have them either.

"Alright people, turn your attentions away from your phone screens and into your books at page 124, please." Mr. Collins told the class.

Bonnie opened her book as she was told and looked at the topic. Integral calculus was written at the top of the page. Bonnie sighed.

"Oh, Ms. Bennet I nearly forgot to tell you. Mr. Bright asked me to release you earlier today so he could have a word with you." Mr. Collins was about to sit down behind the desk as he presented this news to Bonnie.

"Me? Why?" Bonnie was scared all of a sudden. Was it still about the falling asleep in class thing? Or did she do something else? Was she endangered to fail all her classes? Bonnie had no idea.

"It is about a new school project he told me. So you can leave for his office 15 minutes early, alright?"

Bonnie holed up behind the huge boy sitting in front of her. She looked to her left and saw Liza and Perry watching her with concern. Bonnie only shook her head to tell them she didn't know what the principle wanted from her. Then she tried to focus on the math exercise in front of her but she failed at that.

… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She was headed to the administration desk and greeted Mrs. Percyville. She didn't seem to be surprised to see Bonnie which told her that she had been expecting her. So she knew what this was about?

"Ah, there you are, child. You can go straight ahead to Mr. Bright's office. He is already expecting you." She smiled at her and that kind of reassured Bonnie a little that nothing bad was going to happen.

She went to Mr. Bright's office and knocked on his door twice. As she heard a silent 'enter' she pulled the door open and stepped inside. Mr. Bright was sitting behind his desk and was gesturing her to take a seat. "Hello, Bonnie. Please take a seat."

She did what she was told and placed her bag on the remaining chair next to her. She sat upright because right now her muscled wouldn't let her sit differently. She was tense and nervous and Mr. Bright seemed to notice that.

"You probably wonder what this is about, but I can assure you there is nothing to be afraid about. You can relax. I actually have something I need your help with."

Bonnie's muscles relaxed a little by Mr. Bright's words and Bonnie slid back in the chair. She nodded to show the principle that he was right about his assumption about her wondering about the reason of this meeting.

"So, here is the thing. You probably know by now that you will have to do an assignment with Mr. Parker for your History class." Mr. Bright waited until Bonnie had nodded to resume.  
"And maybe you also heard that my colleagues and I are trying to handle Malachai Parker differently from now on."

Bonnie remembered the conversation with Ms. Gibbens earlier. Was he talking about the 'measures' she had been referring to?

"I am not sure if I can follow you, Mr. Bright." She admitted.

"All right, in my conversation with Mr. Parker I made clear that his behavior will no longer be tolerated at this school and I announced that the teachers are going to initiate measures to make him wake up. But of course I know Mr. Parker and I also know that he will give a damn about my announcement. And he proved me right when he skipped school for the following 4 days after our conversation, so I had to initiate my first measure to make him aware of the fact that this is a serious thing."

Bonnie understood. What she still didn't get was what this all had to do with her.

"So that is why you had Ms. Gibbens match me and him for the assignment and let me give my assessment afterwards?"

"Indeed. Tying his mark to the assessment of another student and not his capability of handing in incredible work on the last minute is supposed to make him work a little harder on this."

Bonnie nodded but she was in thoughts.

"You don't think this is going to work?" Mr. Bright asked Bonnie.

"Not sure. We will have to see about that." Bonnie really wasn't sure. She was sure that Kai gave a damn about his marks and school in general and she knew that a few different assignment wouldn't change any of that, but she still had hope that he would pull himself together for at least their history assignment. "Sorry, sir. But what exactly does this all have to do with me?" She finally asked.

"Right. Well, I want you to know that I personally guarantee that this assignment isn't going to have any bad effects on your merit. But, I want to ask you for one thing. I am really trying to contain Mr. Parker a little, so I need someone to, let's say become a part of his life, influence him in the right direction and report the progress back to me and I want this person to be you."

Silence. Bonnie was watching her headmaster like he had told a bad joke. She actually had to fight back a laugh. Mr. Bright only watched Bonnie and waited for some kind of reaction.

"Why? Why me?" Bonnie finally managed to say.

"Because I am under the impression that you are a strong person and can stand up to Malachai, something that I would not say about a lot of people in this school, some teachers included. Also, I think Mr. Parker likes you and that makes the whole thing way easier." He explained.

"Like me? I didn't have that impression but okay." Bonnie closed her eyes for a second and shook her head to clear it. "So let me recap: You want me to babysit Kai Parker and spy on him in the process?" This is how Bonnie would put it, Mr. Bright had just described it a little fancier.

"If you put it like that it sounds really bad, but basically you are right."

"And what did you mean with become a part of his life? Because I am not a good actor I cannot pretend to want to become Kai Parkers friend." Bonnie was shivering form the thought only.

"Oh, no. I don't expect you to become his best friend, I solely want you to be his confidante maybe. You would be the one he does his school projects with and maybe make a little small talk nothing more."

Bonnie nodded. "Why are you doing all of this? I mean, why go through so much trouble if you can't even be sure that it will be helpful? What is so special about Kai?"

"Well, Kai is a very smart boy, as you might have noticed. But he has risen to be a real problem for our school, our reputation. The authorities have informed me about the reputation we have among the town's people and that is also because of him. Not only but he plays his part. We are a very exclusive school and are proud of that, we need to remain that. And the everyday work is much harder because of him. I want to ensure that my staff is able to work properly and I want to make sure that Kai gets the promotion he deserves and I can only prevail both if I can get him in check, you understand. Also, his father is on the school board and he is really giving me a hard time. He wants me to get his son under control, as if it was that easy." Mr. Bright shook his head and Bonnie saw that this was really bothering him.

"So, I can't make you do anything you don't want to do, so I am asking you if you are willing to take this task and become my right hand in the Malachai Parker case? I assure you, I will give you a good recommendation for any college you want if you do this for me."

Bonnie had to think about it. She wasn't really keen on spending more time with Kai than necessary but she was a selfless person and probably too good for this world, and who said any of Mr. Bright's plans would work out. But she saw that Mr. Bright had the best reasons to implement these measures.

Bonnie sighed. "All right, I'll do it."

Mr. Bright looked surprised but relieved. "Thank you so much, Ms. Bennet."

'Good lord, the man is really taking this seriously.' Bonnie thought to herself.

"You are really helping me, Ms. Bennet. Oh, I forgot to mention, I want to adapt your schedules so that you have more classes together, is that okay with you?"

"Well, if you grant me the freedom of a few Kai-free hours and promise me not to pair us in every course there is, which would be a little obvious by the way, and if you only adapt the schedule when everyone else is getting a new one for the next semester, than I give you my permission." Bonnie couldn't believe what she was committing herself to. Did she really just agree to have more classes with Kai?

"Of course, we'll do it like that."

"Alright, anything else?"

"Not that I can think of. Just thank you again, Ms. Bennet."

Bonnie grabbed her bag and stood from the chair. Mr. Bright was staying on put as he took leave. When Bonnie was at the door Mr. Bright addressed her again.

"Oh, and Ms. Bennet? You would have to keep quiet about this. No word to anyone, not even your friends and especially not Mr. Parker."

"Of course." Bonnie smiled at Mr. Bright once more and went out of his office. She couldn't believe what kind of hell she just voluntarily stepped into.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"So did you agree to this because you are such a do-gooder, because of the recommendation for college or because of him?"

"Caroline!" Bonnie saw Elena punch her blond friend on the screen. She had been telling her two friends about everything that went on the past weeks in a half hour long monologue via Skype. She even told them about her deal with Mr. Bright even though she promised not to tell anyone, but Elena and Caroline were in Mystic Falls and didn't even know Kai, so no worries here. The two had patiently listened to her story and now it was their turn to say something. And of course Caroline was going to point something like that out.

"What? I am just stating what we were both thinking!" Carline said to Elena. The two turned their heads back at the screen to wait for Bonnie to answer Caroline question.

"I just can't help it, when I see someone in trouble I have to rush to their aid. So, the first option obviously." Bonnie was leaning back onto her wall and made sure the laptop was steady on her lap.

"Well, actually it was not that obvious considering who we are talking about here." Was Caroline's reaction to Bonnie's statement.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bonnie asked a little angry.

"Come on, Bon. This Kai Parker we are talking about. The same guy you had a terrible crush on for … like forever. Since the day you arrived in Portland, I guess. And you were never brave enough to talk to him and now you practically have him kissing your feet, it is not that obvious what your driving reasons are for your actions. At least not for me."

"You forget that I am in a happy relationship, Care."

"With my brother by the way, so could you please stop talking like Bonnie should consider making a move on Kai?" Elena sounded a little uncomfortable. This conversation was actually a usual conversation between friends but Bonnie regretted telling Caroline and Elena about her crush all these years ago. But who could have thought that it would come around to bite her in the ass someday? And for Elena's sake Bonnie tried to change the subject but Caroline wasn't done yet.

"Come on, Elena. You know just as good as me that Jeremy is kind of off the rails at the moment and that no one would blame Bonnie if she flirted with someone else in Portland to feel a eligible, especially if that someone is as hot as Kai Parker."

Elena only shook her head. "I'll go grab something to eat real quick." And then Bonnie couldn't see her anymore.

Caroline followed Elena's figure until she had closed the door behind her and turned back to Bonnie.  
"Bonnie, now that it is just the two of us, be honest. What do you think of him?" Caroline looked a little like Faye this afternoon in school.

Now that Elena had left the room Bonnie felt the need to talk about her image of Kai rise again. She had that the whole day; that was why she called her two best friends in the first place but the second she saw Elena, the urge to talk about Kai had gone. She didn't want to exclude her from these kinds of topics, she wanted her to know, but the fact that Bonnie was with her brother always made it awkward and put Elena in a difficult position. But now that it was just Caroline and her she really wanted to report.

"Well, I knew how I expected him to be from all the things you hear in school and the things I observed myself. Mean, arrogant, mocking, annoying, childish and too self-confident for his own good. And he is all that. He is a real pain in the ass and I am not looking forward to spend more time with him."

"But?" Caroline had always had a talent to find the hidden secrets and meaning in things people told her.

"But there were moments when he seemed so different. Like when he helped his sister or when he was promising me to really help me with the project. He was sincere and honest and caring. So there is another side of him somewhere in there. I just can't figure him out. One minute he is cheerful and funny and the next he is pissed and grumpy. I have no idea how to take him. Sometimes I am really scared of him, Care."

"Well, maybe you just have to get to know him better."

"That's the thing, I don't know if I want to get to know him. There is something damaged inside this guy. And I mean really damaged. Not the I-was-bullied-in-second-grade damaged but I-have-no-trust-in-people damaged. When I was holding him back earlier he looked at me as if I was an alien. And he couldn't even understand why I was asking him what's wrong with him. Like no one ever cares about that with him." Bonnie let herself slide down on the wall. She was now lying on the bed and facing the ceiling.

"So maybe you have to figure out what makes him tick and be his savior in shining armor."

"Care!" Bonnie was looking back at the screen to reprove her friend.

"Alright, okay. I bent. I will leave the team Parker corner once and for all. You're with Jeremy and as long as you are happy I am happy, too."

"Thanks, Care."

"Just one more thing: on a scale of 1 to 10, how hot is he?" Caroline's eyes were sparkling because of the anticipation.

Bonnie had to repress a grin. She had no reason to lie to her friend so she didn't. "Definitely a 10!"

Caroline and Bonnie both started laughing and in that moment Elena rejoined Caroline in front of the computer.

"What are you guys laughing about?" she asked throwing a popcorn into her mouth and munching on it.

"Ah, nothing really." Caroline said.

"So, I did all the talking, it's your turn. Any news from home?"

"Well, Elena has made a decision about Matt." Caroline stated with a look at Elena.

"Really? And what is the verdict?" Bonnie rolled around to lie on her belly now.

Elena hesitated to answer, so Bonnie already knew. "Well, I'll end it tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Bonnie was actually relieved to hear it. Elena and Matt had never made a good match. And they hadn't been happy in quiet a long time.

"Yes, it's for the best. I just don't know how I am going to do it, though. And I am a little afraid of being single again."

"Ah, don't be. There are thousands of guys out there and you will find someone again." Bonnie tried to reassure Elena.

"And if Kai Parker is continuing to bother Bonnie, we can just get you to Portland and you can personally guarantee that he leaves his fingers off of her and puts them onto you. You know you would want him to, he's hot."

And after Caroline's statement the three girls laughed for 5 minutes straight, imagining different ways Elena would beat Kai up only to heal him back to health.

After she ended the call with Elena and Caroline a few minutes later, she felt relieved. She didn't realize how much she had needed to get all the stuff about Kai off her shoulders. She could have told Faye or Liza but she needed to talk to someone that wasn't into Kai and that actually knew the whole story, even the embarrassing part about her long time crush on him. And that small fact only knew Caroline and Elena. She felt good now. But also a little guilty that she had talked about a guy she barely knew for hours and hadn't thought about her actual boyfriend once.

She tried to reach her bag from the bed where she was still lying and grabbed her phone. She called the number and was relieved when he picked up a few seconds after that.

"Hey, Jer." She smiled into the phone.

"Hey, Bonnie." His voice was warm but not as happy as she might have wanted it to be.

 **Author's note: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I appreciate it all. Sorry for any mistakes I made. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	6. Chapter Six: Irresolvable

Chapter Six: Irresolvable

"And this is why we should all be afraid that Kimberley Blanc will take over the whole school."

Faye's voice only roughly cut through Bonnie's thoughts. She was sitting in the cafeteria with her friends and had been munching the same piece of bacon for the past ten minutes. Her friends had started a conversation about Kimberley Blanc and some point. Faye detested her and was trying to make everybody else see the evil behind her pretty façade. Bonnie hadn't listened to a single word Faye had said. She had heard her arguments more than once and still didn't think Faye was right.

But actually the reason for not listening was another one. Her conversation with Jeremy yesterday evening was still stuck on her mind. They weren't in a fight or something but Jeremy had seemed distant. He only answered Bonnie's questions with single words or short sentences and didn't even ask her anything, even though he knew she had this very important presentation a while ago.

But the worst thing about all of it was that she couldn't see him for another few weeks because she had to focus on her presentation with Kai now. A huge need to look her boyfriend in the eyes and actually ask him what was going on with him overcame her.

"Hello, earth to Bonnie!" Liza was waving a hand in front of Bonnie's face. She shrugged and focused her attention to her friends who were all watching her. Faye, Liza, Perry and Connor.

She was taking a look around her friends one by one. Faye, perfectly styled as always, Liza wearing her blond hair in a braid today, Perry playing with the red bowtie he decided to wear to his plaid shimmy today and Connor, whose blue eyes were intensely stuck on hers. He wore gypsum on his left arm, the reason he hadn't been at school in a while because he had been involved in a car accident. Bonnie had to think of the time when Faye had tried to pair the two of them. That was a time way before Jeremy was in the picture.

"What's going on, Bonnie? You've been quiet this whole day." Liza asked with concern in her voice.

"Everything good. I just had a weird talk with Jeremy last night. I think I actually need to see him soon but that's going to be a problem considering that I have to deal with Mr. Super Cool over there in the next weeks." Bonnie nodded to a table in the other corner of the cafeteria. Like on cue the people being seated there laughed out loud so that a lot of heads in the cafeteria turned in their direction, including Bonnie's. She saw Brian standing on his chair and move his arms like he pretended to be an ape. She saw three boys laughing in ecstasy and a few girls smiling too. Then she spotted Kai, he was sitting on the gallery just behind their table and shook his head. If Bonnie had to bet, she would bet 100 $ that he was rolling his eyes at Brian just now.

Bonnie shook her own head and turned back to her friends before Kai would notice her. He had been leaving her alone all day and she wasn't too sad about that. She knew she had to talk to him sooner rather than later but she wanted to enjoy her last Kai free moments for the rest of her school year.

Her friends had the same expression on their faces. Liza now gave Bonnie a sympathetic look. "I'm really sorry that you have to deal with something like that!" she said nodding in Kai's general direction.

"It's okay. I think I can handle him."

"What makes you think that? I mean, no one can handle Kai Parker, that's the mystery of him." Connor asked.

"I am actually a little mad at him. I know, shocker! But he is ruining your quality time with your boyfriend by being such a charity case. I mean, I would gladly step in if I could you know that, right Bonnie?" Faye stated.

"I think the whole school is aware of that, sweetheart." It was Perry that answered Faye.

They let out a collective laugh. Bonnie was waiting for the day that Faye would ask her to arrange a meeting with Kai, which she wouldn't be able to do because everybody around her seem to forget that she is not any of Kai's friends. She was his babysitter/spy and no one in this school would know about it.

The majority of the students got up from their seats now and went to return their trays. Her friends seemed to want to do the exact same thing now. They were chatting about some random crush Faye had in 5th grade. When they saw that Bonnie made no effort to stand up herself they stopped.

"Aren't you going to get up and go to class?" Liza asked.

"I will, in a second. I have to have a little chat with Kai first. I'm just waiting for all his animal friends to leave."

"What do you want to talk to him about?" Of course it was Faye who asked.

"Well, I have some school issues that I have to discuss with him, remember?"

"Yeah, but why do it now? Since, like you said, he is surrounded by cave men." Perry involved himself in the conversation.

"Because right now is all I got. Right now, I know where exactly he is and tomorrow he could be in Alaska and I wouldn't know. A chance is presenting itself to me and I got to take it, even though it is the most inconvenient environment ever."Bonnie turned around on the seat and watched as all the other students left. The people at Kai's table didn't move a bit which gave Bonnie a shiver as she thought about the fact that she was going to have to go over there while all his douche friends were still there.

"Allright, I'll take your tray." Faye offered. Bonnie smiled at her gratefully and her friends left for their next classes, but not without wishing her good luck.

Bonnie took in a deep breath and sighed. The cafeteria was half empty now but the table of evil was still crowded. Bonnie knew it was only going to get worse if she waited longer and got up. In that moment a few of the people on Kai's table got up too and left for the exit. Now it was only Kai, Brian and that stoner guy, whose name Bonnie didn't know.

Bonnie hesitated for a moment and waited for them to get away from the table and took huge, confident strides towards the table. As she got closer she could make out a male voice. She realized it was Brian talking as she got even closer. It was obvious now, that she was headed their direction because all the other tabled were already empty.

Bonnie hoped that Kai would look up from where he sat, realize her intention and come towards her to spare her from the strange encounter with his two friends, but of course he didn't. She just needed his attention once but couldn't get it. She was now standing only steps away from the table and heard the stoner guy and Brian talk about the next game.

Bonnie cleared her throat and had the attention of all three boys now. She was looking directly at Kai, trying to seem as calm as possible even though her heartbeat was crazy. He looked at her with curiosity in his eyes.

"Well, well if that is not the dashing braveheart that kicked Kai's ass a while ago. What a nice view to have your in our hallowed halls." It was Brian who addressed Bonnie before she could turn to Kai. The way he talked to her made her shiver. His voice was laced with arrogance, not the kind she had gotten used to from Kai, but pure and exaggerated overestimation of his own capabilities. Bonnie knew that Brian was seen as a good catch among a lot of girls from school but Bonnie wasn't into the brainless athlete style.

He now got up from his seat and made a few steps in Bonnie's direction. Bonnie had to fight back the urge to shy away from him. He had a disgusting smirk on his face and made her feel uncomfortable but she didn't show.

"How can I help you, sweetheart?" Brian was now standing right in front of Bonnie and she had to swallow. Her mouth went dry and she couldn't get a single word out. She avoided looking at Brian and instead was facing the floor. She hated that he daunted her so much, but there was nothing she could do now.

"Why so quiet? I remember you being very capable of expressing your thoughts. Did you swallow your pretty little tongue?" Brian's voice was glib. He was circling her now watching her with mocking eyes.

Just as she had decided that this had been a bad idea and she should turn around and leave before it was getting even more uncomfortable for her, Kai's warning voice cut through the atmosphere.

"Brian!" Kai wasn't looking at Bonnie or Brian, he was only facing the table. His arms rested on his knees and Bonnie couldn't make out his face. "I think you're making our guest feel uncomfortable."

"My ass! She would say if she felt uncomfortable, wouldn't you love?" Brian stated.

"Well, I think Ms. Bennet is too nice to tell a retard like you that he is being a dickhead, so why don't you leave her alone?" Kai was looking up now and Bonnie saw that he almost looked bored.

Brian was facing Bonnie and couldn't see Kai, who was sitting in his back. "Come on, Kai. Let me have some fun here. I'm just teasing her a little. She deserves it. After what…" Brian had turned around to look at his friend, in that moment he abruptly stopped in the middle of his sentence. A dark glow was scurrying over Kai's face for a second. It was intense but gone the next moment but this single look made Brian shut up. So even his friends were afraid of Kai?

Brian backed off now, giving Bonnie enough space to breathe again. She hadn't noticed that she had been holding her breath until her lungs were so happy to finally inhale oxygen again.

Bonnie wondered how she must have looked. It must have been so obvious to the three boys that she was feeling queasy. Shit, she never wanted to make Kai see her vulnerable side. She was looking back at him and his expression wasn't as hard anymore. He had tilted his head a little and was watching Bonnie with growing interest. He was waiting for her to state what she came here for.

Bonnie wasn't sure she was capable of talking just yet but as she cleared her throat once more she said to herself that she didn't need to talk to them, only to him.

"I was wondering if you could spare a few seconds of your valuable time." Bonnie's voice was a just a bit shaky, something that douche and stoner would probably not notice, but Kai would and he would probably make a comment on that. But to her surprise he was growing an almost believable smile on his face and got up from his seat to walk in her direction.

"Sure, BonBon."

Bonnie felt relieved at how easy that part of her agenda had been. As Kai reached her he indicated her that the two of them would not stay here but talk on their way to their next class and Bonnie was thankful for that. She didn't want to spend any more time in Brian's presence.

"Hey, are we still up for tonight? Or do you and _Ms. Bennet_ have any other plans?" Brian yelled at Kai. He only turned around to give Brian another gloomy look and kept on walking. Brian didn't say anything anymore for as long as they were leaving the cafeteria.

"I'm sorry for Brian's behavior. He lacks a few brain cells and doesn't know when his dumb show off is inappropriate, which it almost always is." Kai said with true regret, the moment the entered the hallway to her locker.

"Why do you even hang out with these people?" It wasn't what Bonnie had wanted to say. She wanted to state that it is alright and wanted to try and play the scene down but she had wondered why Kai was friends with Brian when he so obviously thought so badly of him.

"Because, I've known him forever and he may be dumb but he has your back if you need him to." It was a pretty common answer. Kai could have described mostly half of the schools pupils with his words. Bonnie only looked at him in confusion. Maybe she missed something here, maybe Brian could be a good friend or maybe he was fun or just supplying everyone with booze, Bonnie didn't know.

"Are you alright?" Kai asked and Bonnie was surprised at how honestly concerned he sounded.

"Yeah, sure. It wasn't a big deal. I will survive."

Kai nodded at her and looked back at the hallway in front of them. It was filled with students that were gathering their stuff for the next class and they had to maneuver their way through them. With a quick look on the clock Bonnie knew she would be late for math because she still had to get to her locker on the other end of the hallway and still had to talk to Kai. She curled her lips.

"So what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Kai asked. Bonnie silently thanked god for his reliability to address certain topics because she didn't have a clue how to get back to what she needed to discuss with him.

"Right. Remember you promised me to really try and contribute to our assignment?" She waited for his nod to continue. "Well, I usually have this routine when I get an assignment. I like to start early to gather all the information and after that I prepare the presentation to make sure every important information is in it. And I would like to start doing that in the next couple of days." They had reached her locker and she stopped to get all her stuff. Before she opened her locker she turned around to look at him.

He blankly stared at Bonnie with skepticism and didn't say anything. Bonnie raised her eyebrows to make clear she was waiting for some kind of reaction from him.

"Why?" was the only word that finally came out of his mouth.

Bonnie was confused. "Why what?"

"Why do you start this early? You'll be done weeks before the presentation is actually due. Why do you stress yourself out like this?"

"Because I have made good experiences with this routine and I need the presentation to be done early because I want to practice it."

Kai laughed at her now. "You are such a geek."

Bonnie frowned at him. "There is nothing wrong with being prepared and most defiantly not with having a timetable. So, are you backing out or are we going to do it my way?"

He stopped laughing now only to frown at Bonnie himself. "I told you I was going to help you with this. I keep my promises." His dark eyes were stuck on Bonnie. She felt the dull feeling in her stomach rise again, the one she always got when talking to him.

"Good, than it's settled. We're gonna do it my way. So are you free tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow? You don't let anything scorch, do you?"

"No, not really. So what about tomorrow? Or do your Friday evening plans with Brian are standing in the way of being productive the next day?" Bonnie was teasing him now. She didn't understand why but he always made her do things that weren't really her.

He snuffled. "I can assure you, BonBon, I can bring my A game no matter what I am doing the night before." His voice was low and angry.

"Tomorrow it is then! I'll even let you choose the time." Bonnie was being annoyed as well but she tried to fight that back. After all she was grateful for what he did back in the cafeteria.

"No, I'll let you choose that, you have all the power about it."

"Good, then 9 am."

"No!" he instantly replied and stared at her intensely. Bonnie knew he wouldn't agree to this but she wanted to tease him a little. Bonnie hadn't been keen on getting up that early either.

"Alright, 11. Not a minute later! We'll meet at the library. Can you handle that, Superman?" She was using the nickname Jo's friends had used yesterday as they ran into them in school. Kai didn't miss the reference and smiled at her, giving her some kind of acknowledgment for her scheme.

"You're the boss!" Kai was about to walk away from her but there was something else she needed to say.

"Wait!"

Kai stopped. His eyes were asking her what was left to discuss but she suddenly felt a little unsure about how to start and looked around in the hallway instead. All the other students were gone now. She could only hear a few of them around the corner making their way to their classrooms.

"Are you going to say anything, or am I free to leave now?" Kai asked.

"I just wanted to say thank you… for earlier. You got me out of an uncomfortable situation and you haven't picked on me for it. I just want you to know that I am grateful for what you've done." After she finished this, she quickly looked away. She didn't want to see the bugged look that he was probably having on his face right now, because he didn't think it was necessary for her to mention something like this or maybe he didn't even think it was that big of a deal, but for Bonnie it was.

"You're welcome."

Bonnie looked back to him with surprise. His voice had been genuine and is face didn't indicate anything about dishonesty either. She had assessed him wrong again. The smile growing on her face was to show him her content and was accompanied by a warm feeling in her stomach, which she chose to ignore.

"See you tomorrow, Bonnie!" He was turning around now and headed to the general direction of the exit.

"Hey, don't you have class?" She yelled after him.

He turned around while walking and yelled back. "I do, but now that I have to spend my Saturday being productive I have to cross a few things off my to-do list a little earlier." He was turning around again and the next moment Bonnie only saw the doors of the school swing and he was gone.

'Great work, Bonnie. Mr. Bright gives you the task of making him more committed to school and your first act is to drive him away from it.' She thought. But this conversation had been a success. She had gotten him to agree on their cooperation and she kind of had gotten a binding consent of him showing up tomorrow. Bonnie decided that she had won the first round of a game that Kai didn't even know he was playing.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hey, mom!" Bonnie had opened the door to her house and was now trying to figure out if her mother was already home from work. Bonnie could never keep up with her work schedule because it shifted every week.

"Hey, sweetie!" came her mother's voice from the kitchen. Bonnie put all her stuff down and went to greet her mother properly. As she stepped into the kitchen she smelled something roasting in the pan. "Hmm, this smells delicious."

"It's going to be hamburgers. Are you hungry?"

Bonnie had actually eaten something in school, but the smell of the hamburgers was too good so she quickly nodded and went to the counter to place some plates onto the table.

"Is Jeffrey going to join us?" Bonnie asked. Her mother's boyfriend had a tight working schedule himself so Bonnie didn't know if he was going to be there for the meal.

"No, it is just the two of us today. Jeff is still at work." Her mother answered her, so Bonnie only took two plates and placed them on the table.

"How was your week, honey?" Bonnie heard her mother ask from the small storage room she had disappeared in. Bonnie hadn't had the chance to properly talk to her mother all week. She had been busy with school stuff and catching up with a few people and Abby had to work long hours. Bonnie was thinking about telling her about the special task force she had agreed to join in school but she remembered that Mr. Bright didn't want anyone to know. Also, she thought her mother would maybe think that this was going to have a bad impact on Bonnie's school assignments. So she decided to stick to some other random topics of the week and only tell her that she had a new partner for her history project.

"I'm going to be at the library tomorrow, so you don't have to plan on anything to cook. I will grab something on my way home."

"It is such a shame that your teachers always decide to give you assignment after assignment. Now you won't be able to go see Jeremy in a while." Abby said.

Bonnie totally agreed with her mother. She hadn't told her about the weird feeling she got after her last visit and the phone call yesterday, so her mother didn't know how badly Bonnie needed to see Jeremy. And she didn't plan on changing that.

"It's alright. Jer understands that I have a lot on my plate right now." Bonnie was sitting down on the chair next to the table.

Abby brought the burgers and placed one on Bonnie's plate. Then she sat down next to her.  
"By the way Elena had called a few minutes before you came in. I told her you would call her back."

"Did she say what she wanted?" Bonnie could imagine what she was going to tell her. She had probably ended things with Matt and needed Bonnie to reassure her that she did the right thing.

"No, but she didn't sound too happy." Abby gave Bonnie a knowing look. Just like her daughter she had never really understood Elena and Matt's relationship. Like mother, like daughter.

"I'll give her a call later!" Bonnie said and began to eat her burger.

"So, who's your knew partner for your history assignment?"

Bonnie nearly choked because she didn't expect her mother to ask her about it again. Normally, she didn't care about her project partners because she didn't know most of them. Bonnie always told her who they were but she never knew any of them.

But she had kept the name of her partner a secret on purpose. A memory about her furious mother popped up in her mind. It had been years ago, when Bonnie was only a kid. She was new in school and Kai had pushed her into the mud one day and ruined her new shirt. Her mom had been furious about it and even called the school to get the phone number of the Parkers. Then after that she had a heated conversation with Kai's father. This had been one of the few encounters Bonnie had had with Kai before this school year. Kai hadn't even done it on purpose back then and had actually apologized. But she had been so scared of her mother's reaction that she never cleared the situation up. The next day, Bonnie could swear Kai had glared at her the whole day. He'd probably gotten the lecture of a lifetime, considering this death glares for Bonnie. Since that incident Abby Bennet had been the president of the anti-Parker task force. She not only hated Kai for pushing her daughter but also his father for being a "groundbreaking moron with little access to logical thinking" like her mom had put it. On every parent teacher conference after that she would always come home and say something hateful about the Parker parents or no matter what Kai did in school, she would always rule him out as a troublemaker. Bonnie had to admit she wasn't too wrong about Kai but the way that Bonnie had heard she was wrong about his father.

Abby was still watching Bonnie waiting for an answer. Bonnie looked down on her burger and decided that she would just spill the beans.

"Kai Parker." She rushed the words out and bit her burger so that she wouldn't need to answer her mother again.

"Did you say Kai Parker? The kid that was close to getting suspended because he smoked pot on the schoolyard? The Parker kid from hell? Who decided that?" she was back at her usual rant about the Parkers.

"He was about to be suspended for smoking pot?" Bonnie asked her mother, she had never heard that story before. But her mother probably had because she was very involved in the parents work at school and was also present during student conferences, where they talked about troublemakers. Kai had probably been a topic on those more than once. The parents weren't allowed to talk about anything that was being discussed there so Abby hadn't mentioned this to Bonnie before but know her mother was enraged and not too careful with her words. But Kai's father had probably buried this story too, so that no one would find out about it.

"Yes. I mean no. I mean, you have never heard that from me." She was calming down a little. "Now, tell me why are you doing this assignment with him?"

"It wasn't exactly my choice. Ms. Gibbens had picked the partners and she thought it was a good idea to put us in a team."

"I can't believe it. This kid is nothing but trouble. He is doing whatever he wants no matter the consequences. You have to be careful, Bonnie. Don't trust him and don't trust him to be any help with the assignment. That kid is the devil."

"Mom, I think you're exaggerating. And I actually think you're doing him wrong. He is not that bad. I think I can handle him pretty well." Bonnie wondered why she defended him to her mother. But she felt it was unfair from her to judge him like that when she didn't even know him.

"I'm just telling you to be careful around him. I don't want you to become a pawn in his games."

"I'm not gonna marry the guy, I'm just preparing a presentation with him, that's all. So, there is no risk for me, relax."

Her mother nodded to herself and seemed to let it go, even though Bonnie knew that she would love to keep blustering about the topic.

Bonnie finished her burger and went up to her room. She dialed Elena's number and waited for her friend to pick up.

"Bonnie, thank god you called back!" Elena's voice sounded relieved.

"Hey, Elena. How are you doing?"

"Not good. I broke up with Matt today. He tried to reason with me but I told him I didn't love him anymore and I think I broke his heart. He hates me now."

"Even if, Elena, you can't be loved by everyone on this planet." It was Caroline's voice that pierced through the phone. So she had been with Elena on this day, Bonnie was relieved.

"You have to give him some time; of course he is not going to get back to being your best friend after you just broke up with him. He's going to come around eventually. And hey, Care." Bonnie was trying to give Elena the equivalent to Caroline's drastic opinion.

"I know. But, now that you call, Care and I have been thinking. Now that we are both single and have no obligations here in Mystic Falls, how would you like a visit from your two oldest friends?"

"You want to come to Portland?" Bonnie was suddenly exited.

"Yeah, we thought we could use the change and since you can't come here in a while and we are missing you so much, we thought why not?" Elena sounded happier now that she was talking about the trip.

"I would love for you to come here! But I must warn you, I will probably not have the time to show you around the amazing party scene, because A I don't know anything about it and B I will be doing a lot of school stuff."

"That's alright. As long as you can spare a few hours of your time. Care and I, we can entertain ourselves." Elena's voice got happier by the minute.

"I'll ask my mother right away but I know she's not going to say no. She loves having the two of you around too much to permit it. Plus, I told her about my new history partner and she would want to make sure I spent enough time with people she actually approves."

"Then it is a good as settled. Care and I will search for a flight and when we found something we'll call you again."

"I'm so looking forward to it!"

When Elena ended the call Bonnie smiled to herself. There was nothing she needed more that a good girl time with her old friends. Even her doubts about Jeremy's behavior seemed smaller now. She texted him about Elena's and Caroline's visit and hoped he would propose a similar idea but all she got back from him was a short 'nice, have fun with them'. Bonnie threw her phone onto her bed and left her room.

 **Author's note: Hey guys, thank you so much for sticking around and reading and reviewing. This chapter is kind of a filler chapter, but next chapter there will be a bit more Bonkai scenes. Thanks again. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	7. Chapter Seven: Character Study

Chapter Seven: Character Study

9:00 am on her alarm clock. Waaaay too early to be up on a Saturday. Bonnie hewed on the button to shut the damn thing off. She turned to her side and tried to fall back asleep. Why would she want to get up so early? She was halfway back to sleep when her eyes popped open again, laced with panic and awareness. She had to meet with her new study buddy in the library today. That was why she had set her alarm on 9:00 h.

Bonnie groaned and turned on her back, facing the ceiling. She could think of a thousand other things to do with her day but she was forced to play nice with Kai and get things done. She already expected this day to be a bad one. He was probably grumpy as always, not willing to cooperate and taunting her with every little information he had about her. That's a way to spend the Saturday.

Bonnie got out of bed. She went to her bathroom and shut the door behind her. She didn't get much sleep last night and her reflection showed just that. Bags under her eyes, pale skin and tousled hair. She mentally patted herself on the shoulder for setting the alarm at 9 am, so she would have enough time to rearrange herself into a human being. She had no idea why, but she wanted to look good when facing Kai. Bonnie shook her head. She was starting to sound like Faye. The years and years of listening to her talking about fashion and boys must have had an impact on her after all.

Bonnie took a long hot shower to get some life in her tired limbs. After that she tried her very best to cover the sings of her nightly uncomfortableness, which worked surprisingly well. She had to admit herself; she was looking pretty decent right now. Back in her room she took her time to choose a good outfit. It was still cold outside but there was no snow. Bonnie instantly hoped that she would be spared any snow this winter.

A white top with pastel colored flowers, a fitting cardigan and some tight jeans was what Bonnie ended up wearing. It was ordinary but not too ordinary and the top had been one of her favorites to wear in summer. One last look into the mirror and Bonnie left the room to get some breakfast. She heard her Mom doing something in the kitchen and she smiled at the prospect of sharing a few nice minutes with her mother while snacking her breakfast.

Entering the kitchen Bonnie smelled bacon and eggs. Abby looked up when Bonnie entered and smiled at her daughter. "Good morning, honey. You're up early."

"Have to go the library today, remember?"

"I thought you'd go later. Breakfast?"

Bonnie nodded and smiled at her mother. These kinds of meetings had become rare. After they had moved to Portland her mother had practically been her only friend and confident. They had spent hours and hours watching films and talking. But now that Bonnie got older and had met people in school and her mom had started to work harder on her job, they only rarely saw each other. It might have been a record that they had seen each other on two following days.

Bonnie sat down as her mother placed a plate in front of her. With a sudden hunger Bonnie started to eat the delicious meal. She took a look at the clock and twitched. It was already 10:15 h. She was supposed to meet Kai at 11 and the drive to the library would be about 30 minutes with the bus.

"Oh, god. It's so late already?" she panicked. In a rush she put her foot down and went back up in her room to get her stuff. Laptop, booklet, history book, various highlighters and pens, her phone. All that stuff went into her back and she jumped the stairs back down.

"You have to go already? I could drive you." Her mother's voice reached her as Bonnie put on her shoes.

"No, thanks mom. I want to make a quick stop at the bakery, I'll be good." She went back into the kitchen and gave her mother a quick kiss on her cheek. "See, you."

"Take care, Bonnie!" Her mother's voice was serious but Bonnie didn't see the expression on her face because she was already halfway out the room. Her mother never said those things, but Bonnie knew exactly why she did this time. Bonnie grabbed her jacket and went outside. On her way to the bus station she got herself a biscuit and waited for the bus to arrive.

She was going to be at the library on last minute. Bonnie was miffed. She wanted to be there early to make a good impression. But know she was probably going to be late or be out of breath because she had to run, both not the best kind of ways to make an entrance. But who cares? Kai was probably not going to be there minutes early to witness her arrival anyways.

And that's how I actually went down. Bonnie arrived in front of the library and no Kai was in sight. She sat down on the bench and waited. And waited. And waited. A quick look on her watch told her she had been waiting for 20 minutes now. Bonnie hated tardiness. She was about to accept the fact that he might not arrive at all when she saw a silver Volkswagen enter the parking lot and a second later Kai stepped out of the vehicle.

Bonnie put on an unapproving face and waited for Kai to get to her. She half expected him to be hung-over and pissed but when he got closer she could hear him whistle. Bonnie had to hide her surprise because she wanted to give him a lecture.

"You are late!" She said and she was trying to lace her voice with anger.

He stopped right in front of her and tilted his head a little to the side. "Good morning to you too. Sorry, my sister thought it was funny to temper with my car yesterday, so I had to take Jo's."

Bonnie was surprised that he even bothered to give her an explanation. When he was late for school he had a fake apology ready or didn't say anything at all. Bonnie looked to the Volkswagen and remembered that she had seen Kai drive a black car and she knew he had told the truth. Bonnie sighed and her anger disappeared.

"It's alright. Let's just get this over with."

She got off the benched and went to the entrance, Kai following her. Inside it was very silent. Bonnie went to the lockers and put her stuff into them and went to the section with the books about the Second World War. Kai was already waiting for her there and taking a look inside a book. His face was uncomprehending.

"What is wrong with this library? The books are older than my grandfather and I am pretty sure that these information aren't even correct. Here they say that Hitler died from a heart attack in 1944." Kai showed Bonnie the book he had just been reading and Bonnie was again surprised at his willingness to contribute to their task. With a quick look on the book and to the books still on the shelve she realized Kai was right.

Most of the books in the huge, massive shelve were already worn out and the pages already turned yellow and stiff. The impact generations of students had taken on them. Bonnie shook her head.

"Alright, plan B. You take another look and see if you can find something that is not completely crap and I'll go over to the workplaces and search of information on the internet, deal?" Bonne suggested.

"You're the boss."

Bonnie nodded and made her way to the desk nearby. She sat down and started her laptop. As he was starting Bonnie took a look around the library. A lot of people were sitting on the work places, noses buried in books. A few of them Bonnie recognized from her school, others she knew were from other schools in the area and some of them were too old to be in any school. Between the lines of shelves a few of them were whispering with each other and the librarian was roaming the halls putting books back into the places they belonged. Bonnie's eyes slit further over the lines of books and they stopped at the section Kai was looking for books.

Bonnie's gaze got stuck on him and she took his appearance in. He was wearing jeans and boots and a Radiohead t-shirt combined with a grey hoodie. His hair was just a little tousled today, but Bonnie knew that he did this hairstyle on purpose. Bonnie shook her head to stop staring at him and refocused her attention on her laptop.

She had to admit, Kai looked nifty today. Any day actually. He didn't care about current fashion but he still looked trendy with his own version of it. Bonnie hated him for that. She hated when people had a natural talent to pick the right stuff.

Her internet research was hard. The Battle of Stalingrad had been pretty hard and it started to depress her. But she hadn't found a good page were all the events were described yet. Bonnie was annoyed and bored. So she caught herself every now and then that she peeked over to Kai and watched him from afar.

After a while she heard his footsteps and he put a book on the desk and let himself fall into the chair next to Bonnie. He sighted and looked at Bonnie but said nothing. Bonnie upheld it and raised her eyebrows to silently ask him about the quality of the book.

"It's old but it gives a pretty good overview to what happened." Kai leaned back into his chair and let his head dangle over the backrest. He sighed again.

"What's wrong with you?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm bored. This is the most boring theme for an assignment. I wonder what they thought when they decided it. 'Hey, our job is so boring let's have some fun again and let the students do an assignment about the battles of the Second World War. They will fall asleep while researching and for weeks we'll torture them with endless presentations about it. In the end we are going to give all of them an F because all the information they used were from Wikipedia or 100 year old books and that's all wrong. We are going to have so much fun with this!' Is that how those fools decide the curriculum?" Kai shook his head a few times. Bonnie could read disaccord and a slice of disdain for the people who were supposed to teach you the valuable things in life in his eyes. Bonnie saw them as authority figures and people to look up to and respect, not all of them but most. Kai rather saw them as charlatans and dunces. Bonnie wondered where this attitude originated in.

A snicker escaped Bonnie and she earned a frowned look form Kai for it. But that only made her laugh out louder.

"What is so funny?" He coldly asked.

Bonnie couldn't answer because she was busy pushing back her laughter because she had seen the evil look the librarian had given them. But the laughter kept trying to break out. She must have looked ridiculous because even Kai's expression cleared and he was fighting a grin himself.

After a while she finally could breathe again and had the hysterics under control. She looked at him and said "It's just so funny, the way you act. You have a concentration span of a 10 year old and even though you claim to have no interest in school at all you sure have quite an opinion. Also, the thought of the teachers having this conversation was just hilarious." She smiled at him and realized how easy it was to do so when he smiled back at her.

"Well, the whole school system is hilarious so I think I'm not too far off with my imagination."

"We may not have the same opinion on the school part but it is still funny."

"Tell me, Bonnie. How can you stand behind everything that happens in school, he? I mean, I imagine you have more brain cells than at least 87% of the other students, even though that is not hard, but still you are not questioning anything, even though I can see you clearly have things that disrupt you." Kai looked at her and the intensity of his question was reflected by the intensity of his eyes, which gave Bonnie the impression that this question, other than a few others he sometimes asked, really interested him.

Bonnie shook her head. "I don't know. I just don't feel the uselessness of school, like you do. Sure I sometimes ask myself why we have to do this and that but I have the feeling that I actually learn something for my life there. So I do as I'm asked, try my best to get good marks to pave my way to a good future. It is the start of everything."

"And how is the C you got in 8th grade in math any indicator for your capability to be a successful business person in the future? Grades are just a way to divide us into good and bad. The good ones are going to have a bright future ahead of them and the bad ones; well we don't need to worry about the bad ones, because they will never have a chance to be something in this world. Nothing that you learn in school matters; neither knowing how to analyze a painting nor the knowledge of the pq-formula is going to get you anywhere."

Bonnie was speechless. She had always assumed that Kai was so anti-school because he was in the ego-phase of his life and just didn't want to spend some boring long hours at school. But there was way more behind his behavior and she thought that she might understand it a little better now. Once again she acknowledged how smart Kai really was. He had learned from a very young age to question things that happen around him and make his own opinion on things. Bonnie wondered if he had ever cared to share his views with the teachers to make them understand his behavior. But he probably hadn't since he didn't care about what they thought.

"But you are doing the assignments and exams and you get an A every time. How can you say grades are useless when you clearly do care what mark you get?" Bonnie asked, her interest in his point of view sparked.

"Nah ah, I don't give a shit about my marks. I don't put any effort in things, I sometimes even try to write nonsense to get a bad mark but the teachers are so deluded that they still think it is good. I don't choose my grades, the teachers do."

"Then why take the exams and test and everything else at all, hm?"

"Because I'm not delusional, Bonnie!" He looked directly into her eyes. Their conversation had turned heated, there were no bad feelings involved but the subject had of them at their toes. "I do know how the world works and that there is no chance to survive in it if you don't follow the rules at least a bit. And since I don't have to put in any extra effort to achieve something, I do it. I express my discontent about the situation the only way I can, by not obeying any other rules they throw at me. I know that I can't change the system on my own, especially while I'm still just a little student."

His speech had made her thoughtful. She understood his way of thinking, but still she could never act like him. Maybe because she was too afraid to disobey and be against the system, maybe because she was raised another way, but she understood. She looked at him and the sincerity in his eyes and the fact that he had already found his place in the world at the age of 17, impressed Bonnie immensely. She thought that if there would be a revolution on the rise, Kai would become the person the people would be looking up to, that leads the way with his thoughts and actions.

Bonnie was about to answer Kai, when she realized the librarian was headed their direction. Their discussion had probably entertained half the visitors.

"Might I remind you two that you are in a public library where silence is required?" she said with a snippy voice.

"You might but that doesn't mean that we care." Kai answered her.

The woman's eyes widened at Kai's rebellious statement. "If the two of you want to discuss thing, might I suggest you do it elsewhere? If you don't keep it down here, there a plenty of other places you could meet and "hang out" "she kinked her index fingers at the last words.

"You want to throw us out? Go ahead. There are probably thousands of better places to get some information than this shit howl. When did you last update your stock? 1972?" Kai was in full rebel mode now. Bonnie's eyes widened at the way he spoke to the woman and she feared that they might actually get kicked out.

"I'm so sorry; he didn't mean it like that." Kai turned to watch her, his look saying 'Hell yeah, I meant it like that.' "Do you have any group working rooms where we could go so we won't disturb any other visitors?" Bonnie put on the nicest smile she could muster for a person she had so little sympathy for. She could see Kai look at her in disbelief, she only threw him a short frown to tell him not to screw this up any further. The librarian pushed up her cliché looking glasses and straightened her shoulders.

"There is one upstairs, you can use it. But remember that there might be other people in there too so don't be too loud." She turned away with one last dooming look at them and Bonnie send a quick "Thank you" her way. She took her stuff and stood up.

"What the hell did you just do?" Kai whispered to her and got up from his chair too.

"I made sure that we weren't kicked out of the library by playing nice with her. You should try that sometime, some people react better to kindness." She hissed in his direction and made her way to the group room upstairs.

"You really need to start to scrutinize more and actually criticize people, even when they might be older than you." He spit back.

Bonnie had to inhale sharply to let her anger out. She climbed the steps and went into the room on the right. It was empty, thank god. She placed her laptop on a table near the window and sat down. Kai let himself fall into a chair on the opposite of her. Bonnie was surprised at how calm he looked, she had thought he would have been furious.

But he wasn't and he kept on staying calm and chill the next hours, where they researched the Battle of Stalingrad in detail and made good progress. Kai had swapped places and was now sitting next to Bonnie again. They were in the middle of discussing whether the death of some Russian lieutenant was important enough to make the cut when Kai's phone buzzed.

He got the phone out of his pocket and looked on it. Then he shook his head and put it on the table. Bonnie was curious who had written to him but she was in no position to ask him.

He sighed. "I'm gonna leave you for a second, be right back." He got off the chair.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked and when she let the words out she noticed that it had sounded taunting. She quickly smiled at him so he wouldn't think she was pissed.

"Well, I actually have to go to the toilet. So if her highness allows, I will see to that." He made a little bow to hose her and she gave him a pissed look. He grinned as he walked out of the room.

Bonnie leaned back in her chair and was about to use the little break she got to close her tired eyes. But a phone buzzed. She reopened them and saw that Kai had left his phone on the table and now Bonnie saw the message that had popped up on his screen. It was from Jo.

 _Kai, where the hell are you?_

Bonnie quickly looked away. This was not supposed to be seen by her eyes and if Kai found out she read his messages he would freak. Another buzz indicated another message. Bonnie didn't want to look but it was so tempting.

 _Did you take my car?_

Buzz, another message. Oh,oh. Someone was in trouble.

 _GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE, ASAP!_

 _Dad is back._

 _I covered for you but this won't be enough for long. He expects us all to be there for dinner._

 _Kai, please answer me. I might have a little panic attack here._

 _What if he finds out?_

Finds out what? Bonnie couldn't follow the various massages Jo had sent. They seemed to have no cohesion. She seemed pissed but also concerned and pretty determined to reach her brother. There was another buzz of his phone but she couldn't see the message because Kai was just reentering the room. Her gaze quickly went back to her laptop screen and she prayed to god that he hadn't noticed her spying on his phone.

He arrived at the table and sat back down. No indication that he had seen her. When he saw the little bulb on his phone blink he picked it up to read Jo's messages. He grunted and his look became darker. Now he was pissed. Bonnie had no idea why.

"Everything alright?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I just have to call my sister real quick. The whiner needs some reassurance." He put his phone to his ear and waited for the other end to pick up. Bonnie's gaze was stuck on her screen; she didn't want him so think she was eavesdropping on the conversation.

Then Jo picked up the phone. Before she could say something Kai already barked at her.

"What the hell, Jo? Can you chill?"

Bonnie made out a voice at the other end respond. It was too silent for her to understand but she could make out that Jo was just as pissed as Kai.

"Well, I don't care. I'll be back when I'll be back." Kai said enraged.

Jo's response was softer now.

"I'm not going to rearrange my whole life just because he's in the mood of popping up again. I have things to do." Kai was still a little mad, but Bonnie could tell he wasn't mad at Jo. Her voice on the other end sounded more desperate now.

"Okay, relax. How would he find out? You don't wear a sign that states that and if you are not behaving like a total freak than you have nothing to worry about."

Bonnie didn't follow.

"You just have to sustain until tonight. I'll be home by then."

Bonnie heard Jo say something that sounded like 'promise' and Kai's answer confirmed it.

"I promise." His voice was soft now. When he started to talk again he sounded less so. "Just tell him the truth, I'm at the library. Oh yes, that is the fucking truth, I'm here with Bonnie." He looked over to her. "Hmmm hmmm, okay, see you then." And he hung up on Jo.

"Sorry, had to clarify that. Ready to resume?" He smiled at her but something about that smile was different. Something about that phone call had upset him and he still had to think about it.

"Are you sure you shouldn't go meet Jo? It sounded like the two of you have some stuff to discuss." Bonnie offered him.

"Nonsense, Jo's fine. I'll see her tonight and until then you have all my attention, Bonnie Bennet." He wore a stunning smirk and against Bonnie's will her heart skipped a beat.

"Alright then let's get back to it."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"No way in hell this is true! It isn't even a real secret theory anymore. Everyone thinks that and that is why it will never ever become true! Plus he's not even blond." Kai said as they were leaving the library.

It was nearly 6 pm and the library was about to close. For the past 10 minutes Bonnie and Kai had been discussing theories about Game of Thrones and who Jon Snow's mother is. Bonnie had stated that she is a believer in the Rheagar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark theory and Kai had a completely different opinion.

"Well, maybe the Stark genes are more dominant. And it would make the story even more interesting because he would have some claim to the throne." Bonnie answered while closing her jacket and following Kai to the door.

"Like anyone would accept his claim. He's a bastard and they don't exactly have a way to prove that his father was a Targaryen. This is not the 21st century." Kai countered.

"Well, they could ask the red witch, she is always so omniscient. Or maybe they could use a magic paternity test; they have that there, right?"

Kai had to laugh at that and Bonnie couldn't help but smile at the sound of it. She couldn't understand it but the sound of his laughter made her feel so happy. It suited him so much, it was a shame he didn't laugh more often.

They were standing in front of the library now. Bonnie had to head to the right to get to the bus station. She looked at her watch and groaned. She would only be at home in about an hour because she had just missed the bus.

"Everything alright?" Kai asked. He sounded relaxed and somewhat content, he had the whole day. Bonnie had never seen him like this. But she had never seen him outside of school either so she didn't know if that might be the reason for his good mood.

"Yeah, I just missed my bus. But I'm just going to take the next one in 20 minutes."

"Well, I could give you a ride if you want." Kai offered.

"No, it would probably be a detour. I'll just wait and read a little bit more about Stalingrad." She waved the book she had lend form the library in his face.

"Come on, you've been complaining how hungry you are for the past 2 hours. No way I'm going to let you starve to death because you have to wait another 20 minutes." And Kai started to head to the direction of the parking lot.

"I didn't complain about that!" But Bonnie's stomach betrayed her then with a deep growling. Kai only laughed and waved his arm in the direction of the car. "Come on, Bonster!"

Bonnie sighed and followed him. She got into the silver car and inside she instantly noticed that this really wasn't his car. Inside she could see a lipstick on the ground and on the backseat window there was a sticker of a cat and it smelled heavily of rosy perfume. Jo had turned her car into a whole beauty salon.

Kai started the engine and drove out of the parking lot. "So, where to?"

"Just head straight for a while. I'll tell you when to turn."

Kai followed her navigations and during the ride home the two were randomly chatting about the things Bonnie would eat when she got home. Bonnie realized how easy it was to talk to Kai. Just a normal talk. She never would have thought that she would have anything to talk to Kai Parker about and she was starting to feel somewhat comfortable in his presence. He listened to her and showed real interest by asking questions and Bonnie couldn't help but compare this to Jeremy's recent behavior. But she pushed the thought aside as quickly as it came to her mind. She quickly texted her mother that she would be home in a few minutes.

After 20 minutes Kai had reached Bonnie's street and she was now ushering him to her house.

"This one right here!" she said and when he stopped the car in front of her house she unbuckled herself and turned to Kai, meeting his gaze. "Thank you… for today."

Kai didn't say anything and only looked at her confused.

"You were a real good help today and I wanted to thank you."

"I told you that I'm sticking up to my promises." He replied.

"Yes, but you did me a huge favor with it. I know you don't really see the point of trying to get good marks but you are still helping me because I kind of do. That's not self-evident."

Kai looked at her with warm eyes and even offered her a small smile. "You're welcome!"

Bonnie smiled back at him and opened the door to get out. "I'll text you about the next meeting, since I can't be sure that you are going to show to school." Bonnie supported herself on the open car door and looked back inside the car.

"That's probably a wise idea." He agreed.

"Thanks for the ride, Kai." She was about to close the door when another thought hit her. "You know what? You are way less pain in the ass than I thought you would be."

"And you are way less stupid than I thought you would be!" He grinned at her and Bonnie had to laugh. Of course he couldn't stay serious for one minute. Bonnie smiled and shook her head. "Bye, Kai!" and then she closed the door and went to her house. She heard the car leave and turned around again to take a look. Then she resumed her walk. She felt oddly balanced.

 **Author's note: Hoped you enjoyed the Bonkai time you got in this one. I really hope you like the story and I want to thank anyone who stuck around until this point. I am currently a little stuck on a chapter that I have started writing a few days ago. I am confident that I will have an idea how to get out of it. The plan for this story are already so tight that I fear I am being too pushy too fast. But the next chapter is already done so there will be an update in the next time. And a little preview for chapter eight: We are going to meet Kai's family and get some insight in his relationship with Jo. So be prepared. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	8. Chapter Eight: Temporary Excitation

Chapter Eight: Temporary Excitation

 _Dad's pissed!_

The key was only waiting to be turned around in the lock. Kai glanced down at Jo's recent massage and sighed. He inhaled once more and stepped inside the house. He was greeted by the warm lights of the foyer and could hear his family sitting in the dining room. He took of his jacket and hesitated shortly. He could just go upstairs and no one would notice. But he had promised Jo to have her back, even though he wasn't in the mood for a family evening at all.

Unwillingly he went into the dining room and got greeted by Briana's piercing voice. She was pointing her small fingers at him. "Look, mommy Mally's here."

His whole family, minus the twins who were probably already asleep, turned their heads to look at him. It was so uncommon for him to show up to these kinds of things that no one could believe he was actually present right now.

"Told you he would show!" Jo said trying to sound dogmatic but to Kai she only sounded relieved. He gave her an annoyed look as he went to the free seat next to her. She shouldn't be so obvious.

"Hello, Kai. You want some roast pork?" his mother asked him with a bright smile on her face. She hadn't had the whole family together like this since Christmas and she always enjoyed it.

"I think the boy could actually greet us and explain why he is late before he picks something to eat." The low male voice at the head of the table stated calmly. It was an act, Kai knew that. He knew his father was secretly furious for him disobeying once again but he had always preferred to scare his children by using his calm voice. Kai curled his lips into a dishonest smile.

He was looking at her mother, who was sitting on the other end of the table trying to help Briana with the slicing of her portion of roast pork. "Hello, my darling family. It is so incredibly nice to see you all on such a lovely evening." His voice was laced with irony and snappishness and therefore he earned a kick from Jo underneath the table. He was now looking into Briana's eyes and the four year old started to laugh at his words and started to move on her seat.

"Sit straight, Briana!" his mother reproved her and she sad back up. Kai only winked at her to silently tell her that it would be okay if she sat on the chair the way she wanted to. Kai never let an opportunity elapse to counter with his parents' strict education.

"I'm still waiting for that explanation, son!" His father's voice was demanding now.

"And you can keep waiting for it because you're not going to get one." He was still not looking at his father, what only made him angrier, Kai knew.

"Malachai!" His father's voice was like a floating threat over his head.

"Can't you just be satisfied that I am here at all?" Kai's head was facing the wall behind his brother Bellamy but he wasn't necessarily looking at anything. Out of the corner of his eyes he could make out Joey and Melinda whispering to each other.

"No, because I like to think that spending the family dinner together actually requires the family to be there in time. And I want you to look at me when you talk to me, Malachai."

Kai turned his head to finally look at his father. He was still wearing his work suit and the plate in front of him was half eaten. Even though he said he emphasized the presence of all family members for the dinner he sure hadn't waited long for Kai to turn up.

"Aren't you a hypocrite, Dad? You show up here what? Twice a month? And then you demand our attendance like we are some kind of employees of yours and you are now criticizing me for not being in time? Guess what, I do have a life outside of this family and I tend to have some plans for my weekends. And if these kinds of family gatherings wouldn't be announced last minute all the time, maybe I'd actually have time for them. So sorry, but I'm not sorry." Kai practically spit into his father's face right now but he couldn't keep calm with this man.

"I'm warning you, young man."

"Don't be like this, Kai." Jo had leaned over to him to whisper in his ear. Kai frowned at her.

"Why are you getting involved in this all of a sudden? Don't you have other stuff to worry about? Like getting your nails done or laying down a bit?" Kai hissed at his twin.

Jo only looked at him with wide eyes. Surprise, shock and a slight warning laying in them. For a second the two of them stared at each other while the others were silent. Then Kai sight and looked down on Jo's plate.

"I'm sorry, Jo. I… shouldn't have said that." Kai apologized.

"It's alright." She answered him and Kai thought the topic was off the table but of course his brat little sister had something to say to that.

"Uuuh, Kai and Jo have a secret!" Melinda sing-songed.

"What are you talking about? They were just fighting." Joey asked her.

"No, that wasn't just a fight. Kai apologized. He never ever apologizes for anything. So he said something that actually meant something to Jo. Tell us, Kai what are you hiding?" She asked with an arrogant voice and Kai despised her so much in that moment. How could a 12-year old be so glib already?

"Melinda is right! Even if he knows that he is hurting you, he never apologizes." Bellamy joined the discussion.

"Maybe I don't apologize to dumb little brats that don't deserve it." Kai fizzled in Melinda's and Bellamy's direction.

"Or you are hiding something!" Melinda glared daggers at Kai now.

"Kai, Jo, is there everything alright with you?" his mother asked with serious concern.

"Yes." Jo quickly reassured her but her worried gaze was still stuck on her oldest kids.

"Look, it was nothing. I was teasing Jo about something and she asked me to stop it. So I apologized because I had assured her that it wouldn't happen again. That's all." Kai explained with annoyance rising in his gut.

"And what was that teasing about?" Melinda cut in again.

"How does that matter now, Melinda?" now it was Jo who was starting to argue with Melinda.

"It is just so weird how the two of you are suddenly so close again. I know your hiding something from Mom and Dad."

"Mommy what is a brat?" Briana's high voice cut through the heated atmosphere. Everyone but his mother ignored her though.

"Oh oh, the two of you are getting in real trouble when they find out." Joey started.

"There is nothing to find out about!" Jo practically yelled, despair in her voice.

"Oh really? Then why did I see you two whisper to each other yesterday afternoon?" Bellamy asked. It seemed like all his siblings had something to say about a topic that wasn't even worth mentioning.

"Is that illegal now? If so I should probably call the police and get them to bring you to Guantanamo, since all you do is whisper and talk behind people's backs. You are such a girl." Kai flinched at Bellamy.

Everyone was just yelling at each other now. Kai was furious and pissed at his siblings. They proved once more that all of them were backstabbing, annoying brats. And Kai hated them. He knew exactly why he never attended these family nights because he could barely stand living under one roof with them. A night like this always turned out to be a disaster. The argument had left the topic of Jo's and Kai's secret and had moved on to more drastic topics like insulting one another.

"You couldn't even spell the word 'hate' if you tried, Melinda."

"Stop calling me retarded!"

"There is a special place in hell for people who are manipulative and guileful like you!"

"I would watch my back if I were you, because one day I will pay everything back you ever did to me!"

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone's head turned to the family patriarch. He had bashed his fist onto the table and yelled through the loud and heated argument of his children. No one dared to say anything.

"I will not let this happen while we are dining. You five will behave now and if I hear another word that has just a hint of mockery or provocation you will be grounded for the rest of the month, am I clear?" His father said with fury in his voice. No one said anything.

"AM I CLEAR?" he yelled at them again and his children let out a collective "Yes, sir." Everyone but Kai. He only glared at his father. He had to prove who the boss is in this household once more and Kai hated it.

He looked back at his plate and shook his head. "You know what? Screw this! I'm out." He was standing up from his place.

"You haven't eaten anything, love." His mother said.

"Well, I think I am not hungry." He said in her direction with a slightly less toxic voice.

"Malachai, sit back down. You stay here and finish the dinner with us." Came his father's warning voice.

Kai had already passed everyone on the table and was now behind his father. "Make me!" he said sounding bored and left the room to get upstairs without another look back.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Mom, I'm home!" Bonnie yelled through the house. Her first way was to get to the fridge. She was hungry as hell and she secretly hoped that her mom had made something for dinner even though she had told her she would grab something to eat on her way home. She would have done so if she would have taken the bus home.

"Hey, honey." Her mom had entered the kitchen. Bonnie was searching the fridge for something to eat. "I thought you said you would eat something on your way?" Abby asked her.

"Yeah, change of plans. Did you make anything today?"

"No, it was just me. I ordered a pizza. But there is still something in the freezer, should I check for you?"

"No, I'll have a look myself." Bonnie went into the storage room and picked frozen chicken fricassee from last week. "God, I am starving. I could eat a whole football team." She told her mother as she got to the stove.

"How was it today? Did you get along with Kai?" Of course her mother had to ask that. Bonnie knew she was trying her best to sound as candid as possible but she was secretly waiting to hear about all the horrors Kai had done today.

"I have to disappoint you, Mom. Kai had actually been a real teammate today." Bonnie thought she saw a small pout rushing over her mother's face. She kept quiet.

As she was defrosting her meal she turned around to face her mother.

"You know what? You can actually quit being so anti about Kai. I really got along with him great today, even though I would have never thought that. What I got from today is that Kai gives a damn about what other people think of him, which I think is actually a real good expertise. He isn't calculating, manipulative and defiant like everyone makes him out to be. Well, maybe I'm wrong about the defiant part, but never mind. He is just very careful about who he trusts and reflects the way people are treating him. And he has some pretty good and rational explanations about his behavior, a behavior that other people tend to describe as hard to get along with, but that is not true. I had no problem at all today to work with or talk to him. He is just a normal guy who sometimes likes to get into trouble, that's all. There is nothing devilish about him and when I am done with this assignment I can actually see myself continuing to talk to him."

Her mother looked at her with an open mouth. Bonnie had given a speech of a lifetime. She didn't know why she had the need to clear this up but it had come over her and she was feeling relieved now that it was out in the open, not only to her mother but also to herself. Yes, she had begun to understand Kai better and she had begun to enjoy his company and she had the feeling that after this was over she would have a good and solid base with him, one that she didn't want to end. The perspective of sharing more classes with him in the future didn't look too bad anymore.

"Okay!" Her mother said now and nodded. She accepted what Bonnie had just said.

"Okay." Bonnie affirmed. She turned back to her meal and finished the preparations. She put it on the plate and took it to her room. There was no urge to have a family dinner today, so she got to her room and sat on the bed with her laptop. She got a facebook massage from Caroline.

 _Found a flight. Prepare yourself for our arrival in February! Text you the details tomorrow. C_

February. Still so long. But Bonnie was looking forward to it. Maybe she would already be done with the history stuff and actually find some time for her friends. Thinking about them made her think of someone else she was dying to see again.

She reached into her bag and searched for her phone. When she didn't find it she started to panic. Where was it? She had taken it with her to the library and she still had it when she was in Kai's car. She punched herself in the face with her palm. She had texted her mom from the car and when she was talking to Kai she had put it on her seat. It was probably still there. She could laugh at her own dumbness and scantiness. She would have to try and call her phone the next day or she would have to see if she could reach Kai to tell him to search for her phone.

But right now she would leave it at that. She got up and picked up the landline phone and called Jeremy's and Elena's number.

"Hello." A female adult voice answered.

"Hello Miranda. It's Bonnie!"

"Ah, Bonnie sweetie. How are you doing?"

"Good, and you?"

"Ah, same old same old. So which one of my children do you want to talk to today?" she asked with a slight snicker in her voice.

"I was wondering if I could speak to Jeremy. I mean if he is home. I lost my phone and I couldn't ask him."

"Yes, he is in his room. I'll just get upstairs." Bonnie could hear her taking the steps. "So when can we plan on seeing you again here?" she asked while searching for Jeremy.

"Not too soon I'm afraid. I have a lot of school stuff to deal with right now." Bonnie told her.

"Ah, what a shame. But I heard Caroline and Elena are going to visit soon. I was trying to get Jeremy to join them but you know how he is, such a stay-at-home." She was laughing. "Jer? It's Bonnie." Bonnie heard her say in his direction. "So give my love to your mother and tell her to call me."

"I will. Bye Miranda."

"Bye Bonnie." And then there was a short silence and Jeremy took the phone from his mother.

"Hey Bonnie! What's up?" his voice was friendly but a little distant, as if she had interrupted him at something.

"Hey Jer. How are you? Did I interrupt anything?"

"I'm good. No, I just did some scratching, nothing special."

"You always say it is nothing special but in the end I always love your work. Will you let me see this one?" She was smirking into the phone.

"Only if I think it is worth being seen. I'm not really sure about the motive, yet."

"Well, let me know when you have decided."

Silence. This has happened last time too. Bonnie wondered when they had run out of topics to talk about. But usually she hadn't been the only one that had something to say on the phone.

"So, is there something special you wanted to talk about?" Jer asked her.

"No, just wanted to catch up with you. I lost my phone so I can't text you. I hope I'll have it back at Monday, wait that's unlikely, maybe Wednesday if I'm lucky."

"Why, where did you leave it at?"

"In the car of … my project partner. We met at the library today and I left it as he drove me home." Bonnie had hesitated a moment, she had wanted to say 'friend' instead of project partner but calling Kai that was a bit drastic; but the more important reason was that she didn't want Jeremy to know that she was spending so much time with some other guy. It was irrational, Bonnie knew that but she still thought it would be better to describe Kai as sketchy as possible. Jeremy had kind of an issue with jealousy.

"He? Who is this new partner?"

"Haven't I told you about him, yet? His name is Kai. We were matched by out teacher and have to do the assignment on the Second World War battles together. I wasn't too keen on working with him because I have never really known him but he is actually kind of smart and I think that the assignment will turn out good." She made Kai sound like a nerd. Better for Jeremy to think he was an obsolete mama's boy then a dashing bad boy. No need for Jeremy to worry.

Bonnie saw that her plan had worked because Jeremy sighed in relief. "Well, it is good that you finally got a partner that can actually help you."

"Yup, that is true!"

Silence again. Bonnie was starting to feel uncomfortable. And of course the worried thoughts made their way back into her mind.

"Jer, is everything okay? You seemed distant the past few days."

"Yeah, everything is good. I am just spending a lot of time with my friends these days, they kind of distract me, sorry."

"So, are we good?"

"Sure, Bonnie. I'm sorry but I am actually supposed to meet my friends in a few minutes, so… I gotta run. Call you tomorrow?"

"Sure, have fun. Bye Jer, I love you."

"Bye." And Jeremy hung up. Even though he had reassured her that everything was alright the feeling of insecurity spread through her body like a virus.

To distract herself she opened her mail account to track the package she had ordered in an online fashion store two days ago. When she scanned through the mails she stopped at a mail from Mr. Bright. She wondered what this was about because he had never sent her an email before. The mail had been received yesterday. Bonnie opened it.

 _Good day, Miss Bennet._

 _I would like to ask you to meet me in my office on Tuesday morning to give me an update about your assignment. I have talked to you teacher, you will be liberated from your first class. So, I hope I send this email early enough for you to read it. I wish you a good weekend._

 _I send my regard,  
Benedict Bright, principle of Jefferson High School, Portland_

Gosh, she had forgotten about that. She silently sighed and put her laptop aside. She was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable about the deal she had stroke with Mr. Bright. It seemed more and more wrong to her to report back to him. Bonnie had the feeling that this might become a real problem for her in the future.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

He lay in his bed. Even though it was dark outside he didn't bother switching the lights on in his room. The only source of light was the dim light on his desk that was barely lightening the room. He had been throwing a tennis ball in the air and catching it back in his hands for the past 10 minutes.

When Kai had left the dining room he had been enraged. Before calming down to his current level he had been pacing the room for minutes. Now he was just trying to keep his thoughts of the situation that had just accrued downstairs. He was bored and throwing the ball in the air would probably not be enough distraction for him for much longer.

He heard a silent knock on the door and it simultaneously opened. "Knock, knock!" came Jo's hesitant voice. She reached her head inside his room and took in the situation. She pondered his current mood and stepped inside the room without him taking any further notice of her.

"Peace offering?" She had closed the door and stood a few steps away from it now presenting something to him. He stopped throwing the ball in the air and turned his head to see what she waved at him. He sighed and the corner of his mouth went up. She mustered a smile of her own and threw the bag of pork rinds at him. He caught it and opened the bag instantly. His twin sister did know how to get to him; he had to give her that.

He started munching on the snack and enjoyed the taste of it. Jo had stepped closed to his bed.

"Well, that family gathering went well!" She said.

"Did you expect anything else?" He said between to piles of pork rinds that were going directly in his mouth.

"No, of course not. I knew this would happen the second Dad had come home and demanded to know where you are. I knew that he wasn't going to be civil tonight. Hey, move over!" Jo instructed him to jiggle a bit so she could place herself next to him on the bed. Kai did as he was told and Jo let herself fall on the bed heavily. She reached her arm into the bag and started to eat some pork rinds. The two of them lay like this for a while, no one saying anything.

"You did a good performance down there, Kai. Thank you." Jo broke the silence.

"You, too. I promised to help you tonight. I knew Dad would rather freak out about anything I did before he would notice there was something going on with you. I know exactly how to provoke our father. Even though I have to admit, I wasn't prepared for Melinda's snarky comments. She could have gotten us in real trouble." He turned to look at his sister and the both of them started to laugh at the memory of their faked fight back at the dinner table. They were such an experienced team in manipulating their family that it came so easy. A fight like this was one of the basics of their repertoire.

"Still, you didn't have to make Dad mad at you. You could have just tried to prevent certain kind of topics from coming up and everything would have been good." She kept on.

"Oh, please. Have you seen yourself the past days? You were practically freaking out about every gaze you got from our family, even from Briana, and you nearly panicked on the phone earlier. You would have caved under Dad's sole gaze and would have come clean about everything. I couldn't let that happen, so I chose to give Dad something else to focus on. It was just easier, he always finds something to be mad at me for."

Jo turned to lie on her side and snuggled her face on Kai's shoulder. "You saved my ass today, Kai. I owe you big."

"Nonsense. You're my twin sister; I will always have your back. Plus, I couldn't turn down an opportunity to get on papa dearest nerves, could I?" He smiled to himself.

"Did you see Mom's face? I think we have to apologize to her. She never likes it when we fight like this."

"Well, she'll be the only one I will apologize to. Those brats are not hearing a word of guilt form me."

"Those brats are your siblings. It wouldn't hurt if you tried to play a little nicer with them."

"For what reason? I'm already nice to you and Briana. I don't have any more capacities." He said half kidding half serious. If he was honest to himself, he could barely stand half his siblings. The exceptions were Jo and Briana and occasionally Joey. But Melinda and Bellamy along with Lukas and Olivia were just a pain in his ass, and Lukas and Olivia weren't even old enough to do something to earn his antipathy.

He earned a beat from Jo for his comment. But she snuggled her head back onto his shoulder and giggle a little, so he knew she wasn't really mad at him for it.

"How am I going to keep this charade up?" Jo asked with sincerity in her voice.

"It's not that much longer and everything will be over. And I'm still here to help you. We'll make it through together, like we always do." Kai answered.

Jo started to cry. She had been holding these tears back the whole day, Kai knew. He took his sister into his embrace and patted her back. "It's gonna be alright!"

"I know." Jo sobbed."Thank you, Kai. For everything." She wiped away her tears and tried to smile at him. It looked pathetic. Kai had to laugh at the weird expression on Jo's face and Jo joined his laughter just seconds later, this time it sounded genuine.

 **Author's note: So here is the promised chapter where you got a little inside into Bonnie's and Kai's families and their relationships with them. It's a big chapter for Kai and Jo and the 'Jo-mystery' is getting mentioned. I hope you liked it and that you'll be back for the next one. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	9. Chapter Nine: Contradiction

Chapter Nine: Contradiction

"I don't know if I am the right person to do this, anymore."

"What are you saying? You want to quit? You can't do that now, Bonnie. I have everything arranged already."

Mr. Bright looked at Bonnie with something she would describe as fear. He had just presented the new schedule for the last part of the school year to her. The one she would mostly be sharing with Kai. Bonnie thought it was nice of him to give her a head start about it, but she couldn't focus on anything he was saying. The doubts about the whole thing went louder and louder in her head. Without her content Kai had become a part of her life and spying on him was something she was not willing to do, anymore.

"I just, I don't feel good about it."

"What is this about, Bonnie? What did he do to make you change your mind?" Mr. Bright asked her.

"He did nothing! He is just… so different from what I expected him to be. I feel like I could really help him but I don't think it is fair to him to report everything back to you, sir." She tried to explain her concerns to him without giving the wrong impression.

"Oh, I see. Mr. Parker has gotten under your skin." Mr. Bright nodded to himself. Bonnie only stared at him. Okay, clearly she had failed at trying to give the right impression. Mr. Bright now thought she was into Kai, wonderful. He looked at her and saw her eyes wide open and shock written on her face.

"Don't worry, it is what I expected to happen. Kai can be really charming if he wants to be. That's how he charmed his way out of a talk with me before even sitting down once. Mrs. Percyville has a weakness for his charming smile. I guess it also helps that she has known him for so long. Just like you. Anyways, I just wanted to say that you have to be a bit more careful around him. He knows how to manipulate people. The better he knows you the easier it gets for him. I was hoping for you to bond and become friends but I thought it would be a longer process. Kai doesn't usually let people in this fast. Which can only mean that he has some trick up his sleeve."

Bonnie now looked at him in confusion. What was he saying right now? That Kai was playing games with her? That he knows how to charm himself out of every situation? That the connection she started to feel with him was fake on his side? Was he trying to convince her that their arrangement was still acceptable and that she didn't need to have a bad conscience over a boy that wasn't playing fair himself? She hadn't had that impression.

"I think you're wrong about that. He was actually really cooperative. I was surprised myself but he really committed when I was meeting up with him. We were really connecting and I think he was honest with me. I feel like I can crack him but not as your little spy but his friend. I feel like he just needs someone to really talk to and someone who is honest with him." Bonnie said.

"And I want you to be this person. But I also want to get him under control. I don't have too much time left, Bonnie. I can't let you step out of our arrangement; this is my only chance left."

"I wouldn't be stepping out, I'd still do what you asked me to do. I just wouldn't… come tell you all about it." She shied away from his gaze.

"But this part is the essential part. I need to adjust to possible changes or what is more likely I need to know how to treat him if nothing happens. And I can only know if you tell me. He won't tell me himself." He changed his voice into a softer version. "Look, Bonnie. I get it and I am not pushing you to do something you don't want to do. But see, you have already told me about how he behaved the past few days and it wasn't that much info you shared. It won't hurt him, or you, that I know this now. Why don't we make a deal. We try to keep this up, the updates about his behavior, but we will focus on the important stuff. Like, if he was in school, how much effort he put into assignments and how many students he tormented the week. You can decide what to share and what not and we can both get our benefits out of this arrangement."

This was a way to lure Bonnie back in. Mr. Bright was desperate, Bonnie could tell. He had high hopes about this arrangement and Bonnie's doubts unsettled him. Bonnie was struggling to say no. She always wanted to do everything she could to make the people around her feel importable and happy. She sighed.

"I'll decide what to tell you and if I want out, I'll get out." She presented her new deal.

"Done!" Mr. Bright accepted immediately.

Bonnie got up. "Well, his appearance at school had been pretty irregular. But you probably knew that already. His contribution to the history assignment is really good and as far as I know he had played pretty nice with everyone the past week, I mean the days he had actually been in school. Is that enough for the beginning?"

"Yes, thank you Bonnie. I can't tell you how much you help me right now."

"Don't mention it." Bonnie walked to the door and got out. She greeted Mrs. Percyville on her way out of the administration area and went to her locker. She was feeling beaten. Why oh why couldn't she say no to anyone. She really needed to learn that. Funny thing, she thought that Kai might be the person to teach her.

Her first class had already begun but Mr. Bright had reassured her that she had been excused by him personally. There were another 10 minutes left but she had no intention to get to the class. She would prepare her stuff and get to the history class.

Deep in thoughts she reached her locker, opened it and searched for her history book. With another look to the clock she decided to sort a few things in her locker but she lost interest in it very fast. She stuffed everything she needed in her bag and closed the door when a scream escaped her throat. She jumped where she stood and her right hand was pressing onto her chest where her heart was. It was pumping like crazy.

After a while she looked back into the person's face that scared her so much a few seconds ago. Kai was leaning next her locker. The door had been hiding his body from her and her thoughts had made her inattentive. He was smirking down at her, clearly amazed by her reaction.

"You scared me to death, jackass!" Bonnie said a bit out of breath.

"Really? It must have been a weird death, given you're still standing right here!" He was snickering and didn't even bother hiding it.

"Haha, really funny." Bonnie turned to walk away from him. Then she remembered that he promised to search for her phone when she wrote him a facebook massage on Sunday. He hadn't been in school yesterday so she had hoped to see him today to ask him about her phone in person.

She turned around, the question already on her lips. But she didn't need to ask anymore because Kai was waving her phone in her direction.

"You found it!" Bonnie's mood was suddenly getting better.

"Yes, I did and it wasn't easy to find. It slipped under the seat and the battery was already dead when I searched for it so I couldn't call your phone to see where it was. But I found it anyways." He passed her the phone.

"Thank you, Kai!" She was snuggling her phone like a 5 year old would snuggle her teddy bear and she earned a taunting look from Kai. "What, I missed my phone, okay?" She said.

He raised his hands, like he wanted to surrender. "I haven't even said anything."

"But I know you wanted to, so don't!"

"As you wish, milady." He made a small bow and Bonnie rolled her eyes on him. She started to walk to get to the class room and he followed her.

"I wasn't expecting you to show up today. I thought I wouldn't see my phone until Friday." Bonnie said chattily.

"Well, I couldn't let you live without your phone for so long, could I? That's actually why I am here so early, hadn't planned on it but now I'm here." She responded and shrugged, seeming incurious.

"Then I guess I have to leave a lot more stuff in your car to make you turn up to school to give it back to me." She mocked him.

"That won't work. This was a onetime deal. I am not going to be your personal treasure hunter. By the way, how come you are not being your usual reliable self and stray the halls like if you're ditching class?"

She glanced at him but only to avoid for him to see that she had to swallow hard and try to keep up her pokerface. She couldn't tell him the reason she was not in class right now.

"I had a dentist appointment and that's why I am late. What do you think of me?"

"Ah, I was starting to worry if you were sick. The rebellious acts are not your kind of thing, but of course Bonnie Bennett has a good explanation for her absence." His voice was mocking.

She let herself bump into his side. "Hey, don't be so mean!"

He mirrored her action and said in a higher voice that was supposed to be a mimic of her own "Hey, don't punch me, I am fragile!" He let out an honest, short laugh after that and Bonnie felt her eyes sparkle from the sound of it. Her mouth was going up and she started to feel relaxed and comfortable, just like on Saturday. She was still surprised on how fast she adapted to him. And then she thought that Mr. Bright had been wrong. He wasn't playing any games with her. The two of them just had this natural connection that didn't need much effort to bloom. She was sure that Kai was being honest with her and the safety of that thought made her smile.

"Why are you such a Cheshire Cat all of a sudden?" Kai asked.

"No reason. I'm in a good mood. It's really easy, just smile and have some happy thoughts. You should try it sometime." They had reached the class room. By now a lot of other students were headed to their lockers since the first class had officially ended. The classroom was still empty and Bonnie was headed to her usual seat in the back row. Kai followed her but let himself fall on the chair right in front of her. He turned around to face her.

"You make it sound like so much fun, maybe I will try it someday. Or not, we'll have to see about that."

"Honestly, it won't hurt you to smile a bit more often. Would make you look less fearful." Bonnie said bravely. She had never told Kai something like this before. At least not in a way when she really meant it as a good advice.

"Maybe I like looking fearful." Kai responded with a serious voice.

Bonnie only looked at him and shook her head. This boy was totally a lost cause. She sighed. A few other students were coming in and taking their seat. Usually they would start talking at the sight of her and Kai talking, but the past weeks had made everyone in school aware of their connection and their reason to be talking to each other, so they stayed silent.

Bonnie got out her calendar and saw that the first presentations were scheduled for next week. That reminded her of their own assignment.

"The presentations are starting next week. I think it is time for us to get back to work." She said.

"Urhg, thanks for the warning. I surely won't attend any of those boring talks."

"So you will stay away from history class for weeks? No one will notice that!" She said ironically.

"Let them notice, there is nothing they can do about it. But for real, our topic is so boring and we chose a pretty important battle. But I guess Dumb and Dumber over there have chosen some ridiculously small battle to have as little effort as possible and that one will end up being even more narcotic then ours, so I won't waste my time here. I'm not going to listen to anything they are saying anyways."

He was being so honest with her. Bonnie wasn't sure if it was just his personality or if he had started to open up to her but she had hoped for the latter, even if what he told her was not comfortable at all for her.

"Well, if you decide to stay away you at least have to put in effort in our project. Can you meet up on Thursday? And I guess you are free this weekend?" It wasn't a real question but she wouldn't take no for an answer, her time schedule was really tight for this project.

"Spoken like a true dictator. Thursday is okay but I actually have to be somewhere on Saturday, I know it's a shocker but I do have a life outside of school."

"Haha, funny. What about Sunday then? We have a lot to do still and I fear we are not going to get through with everything if we're not meeting this weekend."

Kai didn't answer right away. Bonnie looked at him and waited for his reply as he was mentally going through something. "Okay, I think I can make Sunday."

She clapped her hand once. "Perfect. Well the library is closed on Sundays so we have to meet somewhere else." She was quickly trying to remember her mothers work schedule for the week but couldn't recall, as always. "I suggest we'll meet at my place. We'll have all the material we'll need by Thursday so we can just start preparing the presentation on my laptop. Plus we'll have enough food to get us through the day…"

"Alright, alright. Let's do it that way." Kai interrupted her. "Wow, I have never seen a person more exited to do school stuff. You're such an alien."

Bonnie glared at him but had to laugh because he was right, she kind of got cheerful when it came to school stuff. Not that she would consider herself a nerd, she had other interests outside of school, but she also liked to be organized and planning the preparation of the presentation gave her safeness.

"Maybe I am a little overreacting." She admitted.

Kai's expression was full of surprise. "Never thought you would actually realize that, Bonster."

Ms. Gibbens stepped into the room and all the students took their seats. Bonnie only barely realized because she was in a deep conversation with Kai about her studying routines. The class had already started and she hadn't even noticed.

Until Ms. Gibbens cleared her throat and directed her words towards them.  
"Mr. Parker, Ms. Bennett, I think it is a good thing the two of you are on speaking terms considering you have an assignment to do together but given the content of your conversation I highly suggest you take your private talk somewhere else later. Mr. Parker, would you be so kind to lend me your attention and turn around so that Ms. Bennett has the chance to do the same?"

Kai smirked at her and the look he gave Bonnie told her he wasn't approving of anything Ms. Gibbens had just said. But he played nice today and turned around offering her a fake smile. Maybe he did it because he knew he wouldn't be present in her lessons in the coming week. Or maybe it was just one of those moods of his, one could never know with Kai Parker.

Bonnie strangely didn't feel caught or bad. In the past when she had been exhorted, which only rarely occurred, she was embarrassed and feeling bad of not paying attention. But maybe the time she had spend with Kai was already wearing off. She hadn't done something bad so there was nothing to feel bad about.

She still tried to pay attention to everything else that was going on this lesson.

. . . . . . . . . … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Yes, I see you next Monday. Have a nice week, Sir." He hung up. The superintendent had the bad habit of talking for an hour straight and Mr. Bright couldn't handle another phone call like this for today. He called for Mrs. Percyville to tell her she should update his schedule with the meeting on Monday.

As she entered the room her watchful eyes spotted his tense mood right along.

"Tough day, he?" she asked.

He sighed. "Actually it was pretty quiet today but the superintendent is going to kill me with his monologues one day, I promise you." He let out a chuckle.

"So did you schedule a meeting?"

"Yes, he's going to be here on Monday at 10. Would you be so nice and update my schedule?" he asked his assistant.

"With pleasure." Mrs. Percyville took the little note where he had written down the time and day of his meeting with the superintendent and left the room. A headache started to form in Mr. Bright's temple and he was reaching for his top drawer to take some pain killers as his door got opened with an intense swing. A man with grey hair, a dark suit and intense blue eyes was standing in the middle of his office. His demeanor not too promising.

"You can't just march in here without an introduction." Mrs. Percyville was rushing in the room after the man and turned to Mr. Bright. "I am sorry, I couldn't stop him marching in here. Do you want me to escort him out?"

"It's alright, Donna." He said and gestured for his assistant to leave the room. Then he made another gesture for the man to take a seat. He was in no mood to deal with this now, but he knew he had no chance to delay this conversation. The man was taking his seat opposite him, in the same chair he had always claimed, the same chair his son had sat in so many times.

"Mr. Parker, how can I help you?" he said with the most honest smile he could muster.

Joshua Parker was leaning back into the chair and Mr. Bright had to mentally compare his outer appearance with the one of his son. It was strange how little the two resembled each other. He could always see the resemblance with his other children, even Josette who looked so much like her twin brother, but Kai seemed to have nothing form his father. Starting by the way they moved, sat and gestured to the way they looked, dressed or talked. It was like he had nothing in common with this man, nothing but the deep blue eyes.

"I was waiting for your call yesterday but it never came, Richard."

"I was out the whole day, yesterday. I forgot to tell Mrs. Percyville to give you a quick notification." He lied. He was well aware he owed Joshua Parker a call, but he didn't want to talk to him without being informed about his sons' actions the past few weeks, and he only got these info this morning.

"Well, I doesn't matter I am here now. You can give me an update about everything right here. Of course if you have other obligations we can reschedule."

"No, no. You made it all the way here, so we can talk everything through just now."

"Good." He said in an icy voice which made him shiver. He wondered how it must be like being raised by this man, even though he doubted he took such an active part in the education of his children. Mr. Bright gave Joshua Parker a quick insight in the school activities and projects coming up, discussing budget and everything else involving themes a member of the school board had to know. After 15 minutes all the topics involving the management of the school were talked through. Mr. Bright mentally sighed because he knew that know he was going to have to face the more aggravating topics of his children, or at least one of them.

"So, how are my children doing in school so far? Anything I should be concerned about? Any surprises that I need to be warned about before they get there certification?" Joshua Parker asked.

"Well, Josette is doing great. She is a wonderful head girl and has the respect from all students and teachers equally. She has a bright future ahead of her, I can guarantee that." That was the easy part.

"I know I can count on my girl. What about the others?" he asked further, without a hint of appreciation or pride in his voice for his daughters achievements.

"Joey has some difficulties in the mathematic and scientific subjects but nothing to be too concerned about. He probably won't bring home an A but he is in no danger to redo the year or any course for that matter." And there went the medium-weight part.

"Is he ever going to be able to catch up with his classmates?" Parker wanted to know.

"For sure. He just needs to spend more time focusing on school matters." Mr. Bright said and he knew what Joshua's next question would be about.

"What about Malachai?" was his simple question.

And here came the hard part. "Malachai's school situation is currently unaltered. The same issues we have been facing during the past years are still a problem. Even though I have to say he is still steady in his GPA and one of our brightest students. Plus he is starting to commit more to the school assignments given to him. He has a new history partner and she is really keeping him on edge." Richard Bright was looking at Joshua. Parker with delight, only haft played. He was happy to tell him about the small improvement he was told about and giving Joshua Parker good news was always better than giving him bad ones.

"I could experience that first hand." He responded cryptically.

"What do you mean?"

"That history partner. That Bennett girl. I don't think she is a good influence on my son. She might get him to commit to one simple assignment but he is misbehaving heavily at home after he sees her. I don't suggest pairing the two of them together any more after this." He said coldly, watching down on his wrist, which gave him the look of a boss talking down to an employee.

"I'm afraid I do not follow. Bonnie Bennett is one of our best students. She is calm and reliable. Plus she has a way to assert herself over your son, which is something that we can't say about a lot of people."

"I know about that but still I think Ms. Bennett and my son aren't going to spent more time than necessary together." This wasn't a request. "My son is currently presenting himself with his worst kind of behavior towards his family and I know I have asked you to take measures into your hands and get him under control. So tell me, what are you doing about that?"

Mr. Bright had to swallow. He tried to suppress his need to do so since Mr. Parker had stepped into his office to not show that he was intimidated by him. "I can assure you, sir, I have instructed everyone to be more consequent about his misbehavings and I have also talked to your son about this. His schedule will be reorganized within the next weeks to ensure he will get the best teachers we can currently offer him. I am also in contact with one of his school associates to get updates on his more private states. But with all due respect, sir, as long as I don't suspend him from school I don't think anything will have an impact on him. He is a smart boy and he knows where you stand and where I stand." He wasn't going to tell him about the arrangement Ms. Bennett and he had but he needed to make Mr. Parker see that he wasn't fooling around. And he had no intention of breaking up the new connection Bonnie had formed with Kai. Not that his interference would do anything by this point.

"You are not suspending my son form this school, if you want to keep your position. I expect you to handle this in other ways and I have to tell you Richard, I am getting impatient. I will not watch his behavior for too much longer. I want to see results." He said like a true business man. He was getting out of his seat and straightening his suit. Mr. Bright got up too and offered him his hand. Joshua Parker shook it and looked right into his eyes.  
"I am counting on you." Then he turned around and left his office leaving the door wide open.

Mr. Bright let himself fall back into his chair and let out a huge sigh. Seconds later Mrs. Percyville was back in his office.

"I am so sorry he marched in here like this. I know he is on the school board but that doesn't give him the right to do what he wants." She apologized.

"It is alright, Donna. We know that Mr. Parker likes to show who the alpha male is in the room."

"Oh, I hate this man. Always have, always will." She said.

"Me too." He admitted.

"So, how did it go this time? I couldn't hear him yell at you for your incapability to get Malachai in check this time."

"Well, he didn't. He was really calm, which is even more intimidating by the way, but he made sure to tell me that he isn't going to take more back steps with his son. I have to hope for Ms. Bennett to get somewhere with him."

"How is the whole Bonnie Bennett thing working out so far?"

"Good, she has some doubts about the spying on him thing but I think that is a good sign. Means they are starting to connect. I have high hopes."

"Hope this plays out right for you." She went back to the door. "You know, I never thought you would take my comment about Malachai needing the right girl to get him on track so literally. Even though I have to admit, the two of them together? Seems like a match." She smiled and left the room.

It was a match and Mr. Bright was pretty content with himself for finding it. No matter what his father said, he was going to peruse his plans with Ms. Bennett. In the end, when he would be successful, Joshua Parker had to be grateful. At least he hoped so. This man was even more complicated than his son. He was also always dramatizing everything involving Kai. Mr. Bright had no idea what was wrong with their relationship but I was starting to wonder why Kai was the only one of his children acting out like this. With a father like that Richard Bright might have been the horror for his teachers as well.

 **Author's note: Here is the next update and I have to thank everyone for sticking around this long. I would have never thought that my story would be interesting to anyone, so thank you guys you are amazing and keep me motivated to update this story. I can promise there is still so much more to come, but since I am going to be back at university next month and have to work pretty much the next weeks, it might be a little longer until the next update. I try my very best to write as much as possible but it could be that it isn't as regularly as usual and I apologize for that. I know it always sucks to hear this from an author but I am afraid that it will be like this. So thanks again for reading and reviewing. Lots of love. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	10. Chapter Ten: Aerosphere

Chapter Ten: Aerosphere

"So you just want t N!" The way Caroline pronounced the last word made it clear she was implying something.

"Yes, because it is Sunday and we have to be doing our work somewhere. There is nothing else going on here." Bonnie glared at her friend through the webcam. Half an hour ago she had reached a Skype call from Caroline, who apparently just got home from some party her and Elena had attended. It was Sunday morning and Bonnie was in the middle of getting ready to start her day and Caroline was just ready to end hers. How different their lives have become.

"Keep telling yourself that. I'm telling you are already falling for the guy." Caroline said.

"Your drunk, Care, quit talking nonsense!"

"For real now, Bonnie, a few short weeks ago you couldn't stand the guy and were practically afraid of him and look at you now, feeling bad about your arrangement with your teacher because you begin to feel you've become somewhat friends. If you keep up this pace Jeremy will be single by the end of next week." Caroline told Bonnie what was on her mind, as always, not caring if she wanted to hear it or not.

"For the record, I still am afraid of him somehow and to my defense I just didn't know him and that was why I couldn't stand him. I judged him by what I heard about him and that is not the best basis to build an opinion on." She defended herself.

"Yes, and now that you get to know him, what makes you so sure that he isn't going to get under your skin?"

Bonnie was searching for her socks as Caroline said that. She was facing her with her back because she was searching her bed for them. She was pretty glad that she wasn't facing Care directly because she had to give it to her, she couldn't be sure about it. She turned around as she found her socks and put them on.

"You don't even know him and you are already pushing me in his direction. But news flash, Care, I do have a boyfriend that I love very much and I don't see that changing any time soon."

"Well, when we come visit I will most certainly check this Kai out and give you my full report afterwards." Caroline grinned.

"I have no need for that but do what you want. Maybe you'll realize you fancy him more than you would like."

"Not likely I have my eyes set on someone else." Caroline said casually, like it wasn't important.

"Come again?" Bonnie froze in her actions and went back to her desk to sit down and watch her friend intensely when she heard the doorbell ring and her mother's steps to go open the door. Shit, Kai was here and her mother was opening the door. She must hurry this conversation up if she wanted to keep Kai alive. She heard her mother's voice from downstairs.

"Be right there, Mom!" she called the she turned back to Caroline. "Tell me a name!"

Caroline only smiley dumbly which unsettle Bonnie, because she wasn't the typical girl who would be falling for a guy and then act like a 10 year old about it. This was serious.

"Caroline! Answers!" Bonnie demanded.

"Don't you have your own boy toy to deal with right now?" Caroline said and earned a death glare from her friend for the comment. "Fine but don't tell Elena about it. I haven't told her yet and I want her to think I am still in on the whole single ladies partying thing. She is still not over the breakup and I don't want her to feel so alone right now."

"I promise, now spill."

"Well, his name is Klaus Mikaelson. He is new in town, moved here with his family from England. All very handsome guys and two sisters. One of them, her name is Rebekah, she is a real slut. He's restarting college in spring."

"Wow, how did you get to know him?"

"I met him in the grill when I was looking after Matt. I practically bumped into him, very cliché, I know." Her cheeks got rosy as she told her about him.

"Wow, Care you are really into this guy, he?" Bonnie smiled at the happiness of her friend.

"Well, we'll see where it goes from here." Caroline said and Bonnie wanted to respond to that as she heard something break downstairs. Her eyes widened at the thought of her mom hitting Kai with the old vase in the living room and she was reminded of the impending threat her mom presented to her history partner.

"Care, I gotta go and check if my mom just killed my study buddy. But I will call you later and you will tell me all the details, alright?" She was already halfway off the chair and on her way down.

"Alright. Greed your mom from me and don't do anything I wouldn't do myself!" She twitched her eyebrows and Bonnie rolled her eyes in respond ending the call and rushing downstairs.

She was prepared for everything as she over jumped a few steps on her way down but not what she was actually running into. As she reached the last step of the stairs she couldn't see either her mother or Kai but she heard sounds out of the kitchen and headed that way. She found Kai sitting at the kitchen table looking pretty much okay. More than okay, Bonnie noticed because there was something like a smile appearing on his face. She couldn't see her mother though as she stepped into the kitchen to greed him.

"Ah, I have such a lack of fine motor skills. Good thing I decided against going to med school back in the day, I would have killed more people than I would have healed. Oh, hey honey I was just making some fresh lemonade, do you want some too?" Her mother rose from behind the counters with a dustpan full of glass splinters in one hand. So she didn't try to kill Kai but had only been her clumsy self.

Kai looked in her direction as she hesitantly stepped further into the room. Her mom making lemonade on a Sunday seemed a little off. She reluctantly nodded to her mother's offering and placing herself next to Kai.

"Hey there!" he said to greet her.

"Hi!" She was still watching her mother being busy with all sorts of kitchen stuff as she greeted him back. She leaned in closer so that she could whisper to him. "What the hell was going on the five minutes that I was up in my room? What did you do to my mother?"

"I heard that, sweety!" her mother stated as she left for the storage room.

Bonnie turned to Kai and looked at him. He was wearing his usual black hoody and some cool t-shirt underneath. His hair looked nice today but his face seemed like he didn't get much sleep last night. She leaned in to whisper. "Now, seriously. What did you do? I mean, I thought she was attacking you when I heard the smash. How is she so cheerful now and nice? And she is making lemonade? She hasn't done that since I was 12."

"What can I say, I have this impact on people!" he said cockily.

"She actually wasn't your biggest fan before and now she is kissing your ass with lemonade? I mean, it was only five minutes how charming could you have been?"

"I had her won over in just one minute. I can be very nice if I want to." He whispered to her and a huge mocking smirk was crossing over his face. In that moment her mother came back into the room, paused in her actions for a second and went to the counter.

Bonnie drew back from Kai as she realized how their close heads must have appeared to her. It was okay that her mother was playing nice but she didn't want to give her any false impressions.

"So how far have the two of you come so far? Is there still much to do?" Abby asked them.

"We can start the presentation today and probably be finished with is next week. We're good in our time table." Bonnie answered for the both of them.

"YOUR time table!" Kai corrected her. "I have nothing to do with your bossy way of planning every single breath that we take until we are done with this crappy assignment."

"Yeah, Bonnie does like to be a little control freak when it comes to school stuff. Have told her so often to ease up a little. But I should not complain, she does a good job." Abby stated and Bonnie's eyes wanted to drop out of their sockets. Was that really her mother? A week ago she was sitting in her spot telling her to be careful around "that kid" and now she was agreeing with him on something that she certainly never said to Bonnie before.

Bonnie realized her mouth has dropped open and she quickly closed it. Looking to her side she saw Kai watching her. He had supported his head with his arm and smiled knowingly in her direction. She glared at him so that he would lose that freaking smile which only fueled it more. He had really pulled one on her mother and she wished she knew what had happened down here when she was pressing Caroline into spilling the beans.

Her mother brought a tray to the table with a can of lemonade and two glasses. She even put a few cookies on there, like they were 10 year olds that were about to play tea time with their teddy bears. Kai smiled at her mother and this smile, Bonnie couldn't believe it, was genuine. So he was seriously liking her mom.

"Here you go. I hope this will fuel up your brains and make you all productive!" Abby tried to pep talk them.

"Yeah, hopefully." Bonnie said cynically.

"Well, before I let you drag me to the hell of Russia 1943 I need to use the bathroom." Kai got up from the table.

"It's down the hall to the left." Her mother navigated him and he left. Bonnie waited for a few seconds to make sure he was out of reach before she turned to her mother.

"Really, mom?"

"What?" she shrugged.

Bonnie gave her a knowing look. "You should be careful around that kid. He is the devil!" She mimicked her mother's voice in sarcasm. Her mother pushed her lightly onto the arm.

"Come on, I wasn't serious when I said that."

"Oh no? Then I must have a wrong memory because I recall a lot of moments when you ramped about him and his family. And now you spent like five minutes with him and you change your mind?"

"We both know that my opinions weren't based on facts. I was obsessing myself about this. Why can't you be happy that I like your new friend?"

"Oh, I am not against that in any way I just think it is strange that you changed your mind so fast. What did he do to make you change it?" Bonnie was pressing her mother into a confession.

"Nothing special really. He was just very polite and funny and charming. I have always misjudged him. Even though I still think his dad is a dick."

Bonnie let herself fall back into the chair as she let her mother's words sink in. After a few moments Kai came back into the room and she noticed her mother started to gleam at him. She was really liking him.

"Alright, ready to enter the entertaining sides of the Second World War?" Bonnie asked as she got out of her chair and picked up the tray.

"I can't wait." His voice laced with irony but Bonnie chose to ignore that an guided him upstairs to her room. When they arrived he placed the tray next to her laptop onto the desk and took a seat at her chair. Kai claimed the chair next to her, that she had put there this morning as Caroline had called. He was looking around her room for just a second and focused his gaze back to her.

"What?" Bonnie asked. She expected him to have a snarky comment about her girly room up his throat.

"Nothing!" he said honestly.

"Really? Can't imagine you having nothing to say about my furnishings and how this is so not me or blablabla."

"I don't, I actually kind of like it. And it is way less girlish than I imagined it." He leaned back and crossed on leg over the other. Bonnie watched him for another moment to find out whether he was telling the truth. But there was no sign of dishonesty in his eyes so she turned back to the burning matter in front of them.

"Alright, most important thing first!" She opened up a new PowerPoint presentation. "What design?" she turned to him and looked at him with a knowing smile. He reacted just the way she supposed he would by rolling his eyes on her and she let out a laugh.  
. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"And that is how the German troupes were defeated. Done, we only have to do the aftermath now and impact it had on the overall course of the war and then we're done. But I think it is enough for today." Bonnie stated, saving the progress they had made and turning around to face Kai.

"God, finally. I thought you were never gonna let this go." Kai said and sighed heavily. He had been lying crossed in her bed, his head on the long bedside and his legs resting against the wall from time to time, for the past hour. He was facing the ceiling and form what Bonnie could see he really looked relieved. He must be so bored, because from her experience he always lost interest after 2 hours tops and they have been at this for the whole afternoon.

"If you didn't want to go on with this you could have said something." Bonnie stated.

"Like you would have accepted that Kim Jong Un!" he turned his head and reached for the teddy bear sitting next to her pillow.

"Hey, leave Ms. Cuddles out of this!" Bonnie warned him laughing.

"Ms. what?" Kai chuckled and took in the bears looks.

"Ms. Cuddles. I named her when I was three so don't judge." She said and moved to sit next to him on the bed and took the bear right out of his hands.

"I'm not judging I'm sympathizing with her. I know how hard it can be to be stuck with an awful name." He was looking at Bonnie from where he lay.

Bonnie looked down at him. "What Malachai isn't such a bad name to be having for the rest of your life." She said.

"That easy for you to say, you don't have to live with it and hear it every time your parents are mad at you." He had a point. Malachai was the perfect name to be called by an angry parent. But Bonnie thought he had made up a good nickname for himself.

"So where does you nickname come from? Who called you that the first time?" she asked him, curious.

"Jo fist called me like that. Hard to believe but she had some problems to speak when she was little and Malachai isn't the easiest name to pronounce so she shortened it. I guess it kind of stuck."

Bonnie smiled at the imagination of kid Kai and Jo, how they must have resembled each other so much, even back then. Her thoughts drifted to her own childhood and she was reminded of the people she had left behind in Mystic Falls missing them horribly this second. She took a look at her phone to see if Jeremy had written her. When she got her phone back she had quickly charged it and sends him a message that she retrieved it. After that she had only heard from Jeremy twice. Once saying he was busy learning and once asking her if she knew where he put his gaming controller the last time she was there. Not to her surprise her phone didn't show a notification. She sighed and put her phone away. Her mood suddenly down.

"Waiting for a call?" Kai's voice brought her back to reality. He was looking at her with slight concern over her changed mood and she felt thankful for him paying attention.

She turned around on the bed and mirrored his position, lying right next to him, facing the ceiling with her legs straightened against the wall.  
"No, I was just checking if my boyfriend texted me but he didn't." she confessed.

"Hm, sounds like there is some trouble in paradise?" he asked, his voice soft to comfort her.

"No, actually not. I mean I don't think so. I mean, I don't know. He is just behaving weird lately." She didn't know why but she felt comfortable enough to tell Kai the truth. What would he do with this information? And if she wanted him to open up to her she couldn't be a closed book herself.

"Let me tell you one thing, no matter what boy you are dealing with, they will always be weird because that's just how we are. I'm positive it is just phase or something, everything will be back to normal in no time!" she made a hissing sound to underline his statement and Bonnie was surprised at his nice words. She was even more surprised at the effect they had on her. They were comforting her in a way that even Caroline's words couldn't.

She turned her face to look at him and gave him an honest smile. "Thanks!" she said.

He also turned his head and returned her smile but staying quiet.

"You know what, I hate to admit this but I think I like you!" she admitted, knowing she was getting onto unsafe territory.

He snickered and turned his head back to the ceiling. "You know what; I hate to admit it but I think you're pretty tolerable too." He answered.

"Tolerable?" She giggled and looked at him, a smile rising on his face.

"Well, you have to be satisfied with that. It is more than I usually give people credit for. Waaay more." He said with irony in his voice.

"So I have to be thankful for that little appreciation?"

"Take it or leave it. It is my final offer!" He turned his head back to her and looked into her eyes. She had spend enough time with him to become pretty good at reading his hidden meanings. He may not have said it but she knew he was actually meaning the same as her. They were on common ground here.

After a while of silence he started to suppress a laugh and when he couldn't any more she had to laugh herself from the weird conversation they just had. They lay there for quite some time laughing out loud. Bonnie held her belly because it was starting to hurt form all the laughter. She tried to catch her breath but couldn't because of the sight of Kai rolling around in mere amusement. She has never seen him so relaxed before.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …. . . .

The doorbell rang again. She went to the door and as she passed the stairs she took a quick glance to the upstairs floor, well knowing that she wouldn't be seeing anything. But it has been pretty silent up there for a while now. During the afternoon Abby heart laughter and bickering by turns.

She opened the door and saw Jeffrey her boyfriend standing behind it. A wide smile started to form on her face and she opened the door wider for him to get in.

"Hello darling!" Jeffrey gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and went to put off his coat. Abby quickly closed the door for a cold breeze had been reaching inside and she started to shiver.

"I'm going to cook something, are you hungry?" she asked.

"Very, work was so busy today that I hadn't had the chance to eat properly." He followed Abby to the living room and abruptly stopped. "Oh, wait I forgot something in the car. I'll be right back." He went to grab his coat and the keys to the house so Abby wouldn't have to get back up and open the door once more.

She made her way back into the kitchen and started to look through her cook books. After a while she heard the door open and close and just a moment later, Jeffrey put his arms around her waist from behind and offered her a bouquet of flowers over her shoulder. Abby smiled brightly.

"You remembered!" she stated cheerfully.

"Of course I remembered the day I first met you, darling. Can you believe you have lived here for more than seven years now?" he let her turn around in his embrace .

"Feels like yesterday that I was sitting on the floor with Bonnie watching crappy shows because we were still waiting for our couch to arrive. How much has changed from that. I know I was always worried that she wasn't going to forgive me for dragging her out of Mystic Falls. Let me put these in a vase real quick." Abby turned out of Jeffrey's embrace and searched for a fitting vase to dunk the flowers into. When she found one, she filled it with water and sniffed on them once more before placing them on the kitchen table.

Jeffrey was waiting for her to come back into his arms and when she did the two shared a long kiss. After a while they heard loud laughter out of Bonnie's room. Jeffrey backed out of the kiss and looked to the ceiling skeptically.

"Is Jeremy here to visit?" he asked Abby because of the definite male laugh he just heard.

"No, it is Bonnie's friend from school. The new history partner, they are preparing something for school."

"Ah, who is it. Do I know him?" Jeffrey knew Bonnie wasn't his child but he had known her for what felt like forever and had grown really fond of her. He always felt protective towards his little girl.

"It's Kai Parker." Abby said and Jeffrey gave her a surprised look.

"That Kai Parker? The kid whose father you hate and that you never left a good hair on?" he asked her. "I am surprised that you would even let him near your daughter."

"Trust me, I wasn't too happy about this news either at first."

"But…?"

"I don't say this often but I think I might have been wrong about him. He is quite a nice boy and I know that Bonnie get along with him very well. So I thought I might give him a chance. For Bonnie's sake, of course!" She assured her boyfriend. He only smirked at her knowingly. He knew she didn't like to admit to a mistake she had made, so she would bring up Bonnie's happiness as the reason for her change of mind. But Jeffrey knew that she probably just liked the boy.

The laughter from above was reignited and the two adults shared a happy look.

"I like hearing that sound. She hasn't been too cheerful in the past few weeks." Jeffrey stated.

"I know, she hasn't admitted anything to me but I think Jeremy and her are going through some rough times. Maybe it won't hold much longer." She turned to the counter and placed a bowl on it to start her cooking.

"Finally." Jeffrey stated and earned a warning glare from his girlfriend. "What? You know I was never the biggest fan of that relationship. I mean, he has never even been here in all this time they are together. I think he isn't appreciating her enough and I think she deserves something better." He paused. "Someone that can make her happy. Like this!" He pointed to the ceiling to show Abby what he meant.

She understood. Jeremy had indeed never visited Bonnie in Portland and the times she had seen the two together she had never heart Bonnie laugh like this. She and Jeremy have always seemed to be a little bit apart. Maybe Jeffrey was right and it was time for Bonnie to move on. She just wasn't looking forward to the hours and hours of breakup songs playing in the house.

"Maybe you're right about the whole Jeremy thing. But you don't have to be the one listening to all the sobbing and looking into that sad face of hers when this ends. Teenage breakups are always so dramatic." Abby said.

"Well, maybe if she found someone else to give her comfort it wouldn't be too hard." He smirked.

Abby looked up to the ceiling and imagined what the two of them were laughing about so hard.  
"Hm, they did seem kind of cute together. The chemistry was definitely there. But I doubt it would lead anywhere but in heartbreak. No matter how much I change my view over the kid, I don't take him as a one-girl kind of boy."

"Well, if it fits it fits." Was Jeffrey's comment. Abby had to smile on his vise statement. She remembered a scene from earlier as she was walking back into the kitchen with lemons in her and the caught the two of them, huddling their heads together and whispering. She had to stop for a second to take that in. While she prepared the lemonade she had wondered if the sight of them like this bothered her or not and came to the conclusion that it didn't.

All this was solely hypothetical thinking, but if Bonnie ever decided that Jeremy wasn't the right one for her and would set her sights on Kai, she wouldn't even mind. Maybe she would even embrace it.

 **Author's note: Here is another update I got ready before going back to university. Hope you like it. I realized that the way I planned for this story to turn out will end up making it soooo long. I am sorry for the slow build but the story is so concrete in my head already that I just have to get through with this like that. But on the positive note, you'll have so much more time with this fanfiction. Love that you stuck around this long. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	11. Chapter Eleven: Unknown Territory

Chapter Eleven: Unknown Territory

On her way to the history class she was checking her phone. Bonnie wasn't too keen on sitting in the history lesson today because Kai had been right. The presentations had started and she had to listen to an awful lot of horribly boring information about battles that had no importance in the outcome of the war. Kai had done the right thing to stay away from class.

She hadn't seen him the whole week. The timetable for their preparation got tighter and tighter so she decided on texting him about their next meeting. Focusing on her phone and the message she was about to send, she didn't pay any attention as she stepped into the classroom and took her usual seat. When she was about to send the message she saw that she had received a message from Kai instead.

It was picture and Bonnie waited while it downloaded to maybe adjust her message. She flinched as she saw the picture he had send her. It was a girl with dark hair up to her chin, sitting in a chair in a classroom, surrounded by students. That girl was her. Kai had sent her a photo of herself sitting in this classroom right now. But he could have only taken this picture if…

Bonnie turned around to the direction the photographer had to be and saw him sitting by the window, a few seats between them. He had his elbows on his desk and was supporting his head with his hands. In one of them he had his phone and his head was turned to look at her. He grinned at her as he realized she had finally seen him and opened the hand that wasn't holding his phone to wave at her.

Without a second thought Bonnie grabbed her stuff, which she fortunately hadn't spread all over her desk yet, and went to the empty seat next to Kai, tossing her bag onto the desk there.

"What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting to see you anywhere near the school for at least another week!" Bonnie was surprised at how random this sounded. She didn't judge him anymore for staying away, she got used to his behavior.

"Well, apparently you DIDN'T see me when you came in, sooo." He laughed at the memory of her being a Smartphone zombie. "I didn't plan on showing up today but Jo needed a ride to school because her car broke down, so now I'm here."

"Well, you could have just given her your car." Bonnie suggested without even thinking about that she just advised him on how to ditch school.

Kai looked at her like he thought she had lost her mind. "Of course that could have been a possibility, NOT! Do you think I am delusional? I won't let my sister drive my car." He said like it was so obvious.

"And why is that?"

"Please, have you seen my car? And have you seen my sisters driving? Those two are not made for each other."

"I would have never taken you for such a cliché man." Bonnie mocked him.

"Because I am not. I am just capable of assessing the situation at hand." He said and Bonnie looked at him nodding in disbelieve. He smiled. "So what were you going to text me about, as you entered the room?" he asked.

"I was just wondering when we should finish our project. My timetable says that we should get this done by this week. I mean I left a little space for inconvenience but I think if we can manage we should get done by the end of the week."

He only shook his head and grinned at her. "You're so predictable."

"Sorry that I am the person to ensure that we actually pass this thing and you know that I am!" She was referring to her extra task of evaluating his commitment. Kai's smile disappeared and he glared at Bonnie, which send a shiver down her spine. But it was only for a fraction of a second and he was back to his good-mooded self.

"Well, I am there for your service." He commented.

"Good, how about the weekend? If my calculations are right we shouldn't need more than one day to finish this up. Two tops. So I think Saturday maybe? Or is Sunday better with you?"

"It's like you can choose between pest and cholera." He leaned back in his chair and put one foot on the table. Now it was Bonnie's turn to glare at him. She had thought that the time they had spent together had made them some kind of friends but obviously he still hated spending time with her. Realizing the reason for her anger he quickly stepped back. "Not why you think! I can just imagine at least 100 different things I could do this weekend, rather than spent another hour with the casualties of the Second World War."

Bonnie was weirdly relieved to hear him say that. Mr. Bright's words were still ringing in her ear about Kai not being honest with her. In his defense so wasn't Bonnie but she could never tell him that. And last Sunday she had actually decided to give a crap about her principle's warning about him and give him a chance.

"Saturday then?" she asked him and he nodded. She smiled, opened her calendar and noted the meeting. Ms. Gibbens entered at she decided to text Kai about the meeting point later.

"Hello EVERYONE!" Ms. Gibbens said, stressing the 'everyone'. "I can't believe I would ever see this day but I can actually say that everyone that is signed in this course is here, today. Welcome back, Mr. Parker."

"Oh, so sweet to see you missed me Ms. Gibbens." Kai said with the usual snark in his voice. Ms. Gibbens turned away from the class and ignored his comment. Every other student with a similar reaction would have been send to the principle but Ms. Gibbens knew that other rules applied when it came to Kai. A comment like this was just a normal 'good morning' for him. If she would send him to the principle for this, Kai wouldn't be attending any classes anymore due to spending his entire time at Mr. Bright's office.

The lesson wouldn't end. It felt like 10 hours of torturous information that were handed to them but in fact it had only been 30 minutes. Bonnie had finally given up on following Camilla and Josephine and took a look around the room. A room she had come to know every single detail about due to the fact that she had been nonstop scanning it for the past five days. Her eyelids got heavier by the second ands he was fighting the need to close them and drift away in a relaxing slumber.

Turning her head to the windows to check the weather, she was distracted by the view of one Kai Parker. He was clearly not listening to what the two up front were telling the class. A crossword was spread all over his desk for everyone to see and he was quickly adding the missing words from it. Bonnie got jealous because he had been as smart as to take some kind of distraction with him, something Bonnie hadn't been thinking about on any day the past week.

In that moment the clouds in the sky made way for a brief time and weak sunshine broke though them and brightening everything they touched, giving the impression that spring was just around the corner. The light touched Kai's face perfectly and Bonnie imagined him being in a perfume add in TV right now. She had to swallow hard as she was trying not to stare at him. But she couldn't turn her eyes away from his appearance.

Like he felt her gaze he turned to look in her direction, raising an eyebrow in question. Bonnie blinked the irritation away as the clouds sealed the sun back up. Faking a smile and pointing to the window to insure him she had been watching the sun, which she basically had, and not him she turned her head back to Camilla and Josephine. She was thankful for her darker complexion, because she could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks.

After another horribly boring presentation which she had tried to follow because she hadn't dared to look around the room again, they were free to leave. With the bag on her desk Bonnie put everything back inside and bravely turned to Kai. "Are you going to stay for lunch?"

Kai laughed. "Have to. Can't leave Jo behind, can I?"

"Obviously." Bonnie smiled to herself and shouldered her bag while she was slowly pacing towards the door, waiting for Kai to catch up. They were headed to the cafeteria as Bonnie's phone buzzed.

 _Wanna go to the mall after school? We got a water-pipe burst at home. Craftsmen are on their way but it's pure chaos here. So take your time, Purchase is on me! Mom_

Bonnie's eyes widened as she read her mother's text. She groaned and must have made a stupid face because Kai was eying her warily.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

"Well, if you would call a water-pipe burst alright, then yeah." Bonnie sighed.

"Uuuuh, that's nasty." He commented.

"Yeah, my mom just texted me. She wants me to take my time coming home from school today because apparently our house has been taken over by water and plumbers. Hey? Wanna come to the mall with me? I have a few hours to crash after school."

"Go shopping? I think I'll pass on that." He laughed as he saw Bonnie's fake pout. "Don't worry little Bennett, we'll find an occupation for you." He swung his arm around Bonnie's shoulder, leaning a bit of his weight onto her. Bonnie didn't know why but the gesture gave her some kind of reassurance and it didn't surprise her at all that it didn't feel the tiniest bit awkward. Given how close the two of them had become during the past weeks she almost craved actions like these. She turned her face to Kai and smiled at him, happy to see that he was returning it.

As they arrived at the canteen the row in front of the serving counter was already reaching far into the room. Bonnie's belly gnarled in anticipation of the food and they got in line. Kai was leery watching the food, mentioning how they always served fried things and Bonnie countered that she didn't mind today because she could eat everything at once, as someone pushed through the line to get to where they were. Bonnie could make out some 'heys' and 'watch outs' before she turned to see who was trying to shorten their waiting time.

"Here you are. I was starting to think you already left." Bonnie heard Jo say and Kai turned to the familiar sound of his twin's voice. "Hey Bonnie!" Jo continued in Bonnie's direction, with a voice more soft and sweet then the one she had used with Kai, and Bonnie had to try hard to keep her poker face because she was a little surprised at Jo's nice greeting, since they weren't exactly friends or talking much at all for that matter.

"Hey Jo." Bonnie quickly answered before she saw that Jo's attention was switching back towards her brother but not before she gave Bonnie another friendly smile.

He only tilted his head to the side and watched her, saying nothing in return.

Jo seemed to get annoyed by him and sighed. "I just wanted to say that you don't have to take me home. Jessica has a date tomorrow and she needs Olive and me to go through her outfit options so I'll catch a ride with her." Jo said.

"It's all the same to me." Kai answered shortly and had his attention focused back to the food already.

"Remember to pick up the dry cleaning after school?" Jo asked him but he had reached the kitchen lady and was very invested in a conversation with her about the ingredients of the potato casserole so he didn't give her an answer.

"KAI!" Jo almost screamed at her brother.

"My god, my memory isn't a sieve, Josette. I think I am very capable of remembering this one thing that you have been nagging me about the whole ride here." He spit back to her and she glanced at him.

"Good! I trust you one this!" she gave him a last look and took her food onto her tray when he turned back to her and said, "Say 'hi' to Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum for me. And maybe Jessica will let you try on some of her clothes, too, since you're going to need a bigger size soon if you keep this up!" And he was nodding in Jo's food's direction.

Bonnie took her own food as she watched Jo's face turn all white and all the warmth in her eyes had faded. She was shooting lightning at Kai and he was angrily smirking at her.

"My condolences to you, Bonnie. I have no idea how you can bear spending so much time with the horrible person that is my brother. I would have killed him by now." Jo said to Bonnie.

"Don't tempt me. It's not that I haven't thought about it." Bonnie responded and the two girls laughed.

"Oh, isn't this sweet to see how the two of you bond over your combined hatred over me." He said coldly.

"It's not the hatred that we bond over!" Jo stated.

"It's the being hacked off about you 24/7." Bonnie finished Jo's statement and the two girls fell back into laughter. Kai rolled his eyes on them and turned around, leaving the two behind.

"But seriously, can you remind him of the dry cleaning again, Bonnie? If he doesn't pick it up today, our dad is going to freak out because we're going to have to wear something that he would consider 'inappropriate' on Sunday." Jo said.

"Of course I will. We all know how he handles responsibilities." Bonnie snickered.

"And he really shouldn't piss off Dad." Jo added and placed her hand on Bonnie's shoulder, making her think she was about to head to the table her two best friends were already seated but Jo turned to her one more time. "I'm really glad you get along so well, though. Kai isn't usually this nice to people and I know he can be a pain in the ass but he really likes you."

"How do you know?" Bonnie was curious what made Jo say something like that. Did Kai say something to her?

"I'm his twin sister. I am probably the person who knows him best. I can see the way he acts around you and the fact that he is actually listening to you, gives a lot away. Plus, intuition, a big sister always knows what's going on with her siblings, especially her own twin." She smiled at her but Bonnie was a little confused right now because of why she even brought it up. Jo mistook this confusion with uncertainty about Kai's attitude towards her because she said, "Don't worry. You can trust my judgment. I know that Kai isn't showing this directly, and he probably will never show you how important you really are to him, but with time you'll learn to read the signs. He's usually not letting people in, but maybe you can get him out of his shell." Another reassuring smile and Jo had turned, leaving Bonnie with the need to clarify her and Kai's status to her, because it seemed like his sister thought that they had something more coming than friendship. And more importantly she felt the need to talk more to Jo about Kai. She was right, Jo knew him best and Bonnie only got started to try to figure this boy out and could really use the help of someone who has been on it for her entire life.

Bonnie shook her head and followed Kai to a table nearby. He didn't look up from his food as she placed herself next to him.

"They can't be serious about this stuff. Who in the world is supposed to eat this?" Kai scooped some of his casserole onto his fork and watched it warily, as if it was about to jump off and attack him, then he watched Bonnie shove a huge fork of her own food into her mouth and he started to laugh, nearly making Bonnie choke on it because she had to suppress a laugh of her own.

"Don't judge me, I am hungry." She could muster between two bites. He only shook his head and slid his tray to the side without taking a single bite.

In that moment Liza and Perry approached their table. They didn't have a tray with them and they were rushing towards Bonnie and that made her wonder what the deal was with those two.

"Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie! Found you! You will not believe what we just found out." Perry placed himself next to Bonnie and Liza stood next to him watching down on Bonnie with a big smile.

Bonnie's questioning face made Perry spill the beans right away. "Mr. Collins is sick, he just left the school. Some virus or so, I don't know, but he just told us that the math class isn't going to take place so we are good to go right now."

Liza made a little jump behind Perry that made Bonnie believe what she just heard. The three of them hated math and Mr. Collins was really not their favorite teacher so a reaction like this would only be evoked by something as true as this. But Bonnie couldn't feel happy about this. She looked to Kai and he watched her judgingly.

"Hey, why isn't she happy about this?" Liza asked Kai.

"Because now she has to find something to fill the rest of her day, because she can't go home since they have a pipe burst." he explained to her friends.

"Oh, no. That's too bad. I'd say you could come with us but Liza and I are headed to the local animal shelter for our biology project and we know how much you like being with dogs." Perry said ironically and Liza added that she was still very welcome to join them but Bonnie declined. There was no way she was spending her free time with fuzzy dogs and cats that would most definitely start to lick every single limb of her body. She shivered at the thought only.

"Is this really true? Are you guys so lucky that you can leave already?" Faye was approaching with Connor in tow.

"Wow, news travels fast." Liza stated and Faye let herself fall onto a chair.

"Like my day couldn't get any worse. Now I am stuck here at school without you guys and I didn't even get any of the casserole because it was already empty." Faye sighed.

"Lucky you, I have just a portion of it waiting right here." Kai shoved this tray in Faye's direction and her face lit up in anticipation. Then doubt crossed her face.

"You don't want eat that?" she asked Kai pointing to the untouched casserole.

"Hell no. If I wanted to get food poisoning I'd eat something my sister made." As Faye still hesitated to eat, he put the fork into her hand to ensure his unwillingness to eat and she happily smiled at him and started. Like Bonnie, Faye had a real big appétit today.

"You know, you are really missing out on something. This is like the best food you can get in this canteen." Faye said with a full mouth and it was hard to understand her.

"That's not really true; remember that chicken teriyaki they made last year? That was delicious." Bonnie mentioned with an equally full mouth and the two girls reminisced about that meal.

"I can see why you guys are friends. You seem to share the tendency for inappropriate table manners." Kai said but he was suppressing a smile so Bonnie knew he really didn't bother. She locked eyes with Faye and the two started laughing.

"Oh, dear. You haven't even seen inappropriate with these two." Perry said judgingly and they all laughed. He was always the one complaining about Bonnie's and Faye's choice of meal, behavior at the table or the combination of food the two were eating. In that matter Bonnie and Faye were soul mates, they share their eagerness to experiment with different tastes.

Bonnie took a look around the table. It was an odd picture but it made her happy. Her best friends in school were casually chatting and laughing with one another and Kai seemed to fit right in. If someone would watch them, that had no clue about the social structure of the school, they wouldn't doubt that he was right where he belonged. That made Bonnie euphoric. So she wouldn't have much trouble including Kai further into her life if he seemed to get along with her friends as well. She happily and silently continued eating her meal while she listened to Perry, Faye and Kai start a discussion about the one time Faye had crossed French fries with hazelnut-crème, as her gaze got stuck on Connor who had oddly stayed silent the whole time since he had arrived at the table.

He was eying the scene that took place with something in his eyes that Bonnie could only describe as uncontent. His critical gaze wandered between his half eaten plate and Kai. Bonnie tired to make eye contact with him and as she did she raised an eye brow in question but he only shrugged and looked back at his plate. What was his deal?

"As nice as this little get together is turning out to be we should get going if we want to catch the bus to the animal shelter. Are you ready, darling?" Perry asked Liza and she nodded and got up from her seat.

Everyone said their goodbyes and Liza and Perry went to the exit, leaving Faye, Bonnie, Connor and Kai alone. Faye was already back to interrogating Kai about this and that as Connor took a look at his watch and turned to Faye.

"I should get going. Can't be late for my class. Want to accompany me, Faye?" His voice was oddly emotionless and Bonnie started to worry about her friend. Faye also picked up on it so she turned to Bonnie and Kai and said her goodbye took her tray and left the table but before that she gestured to Bonnie to give her a call later. Bonnie smiled and nodded. And then they were gone.

Bonnie sighed, which made Kai look up from his phone.

"What? Are you still unhappy about having to leave school early? You might be the only person on this planet that feels like this." He joked.

"I guess you wouldn't like spending so much time alone with nothing to do either."

"On the contrary, I would pretty much enjoy it." He paused as if an idea started to form in his brain. "Aren't you a lucky lady to have me as your savior? Let's just get this presentation done once and for all and you wouldn't have to spent all your time alone and we would have a free weekend, what do you say?"

"Wait? Are you proposing to get to work right now? I think I need to mark this day in my calendar." Bonnie teased but then she went serious again. "But what about Jo? Don't you have to drive her?"

"Hello? Have you been present in the conversation a few minutes ago? She's staying with a friend so I am off taxi-duty."

Aaah, right. She remembered now. "What about your classes?" she asked.

"Please, I didn't plan on coming here either way so it is not a huge loss if I actually ditched them."

Bonnie waited, not sure if she wanted him to ditch school for her but he was right, the idea did sound tempting.

"I don't know, I mean where would we even do it? It is not that we can just stay here. You might get caught and get send to Mr. Bright and then I am back to spending my time alone."

"We'll go to my place. Everyone is still out so we can actually work there." He said and after another hesitant pause from Bonnie he added. "Come on, BonBon, don't pretend like you're not curious about my house!" He twitched is eyebrows mockingly and got off his seat.

She had to admit she really was curious. She had been imagining his house and his room for the past few weeks but she could never really picture anything because he was such an unpredictable person, it was impossible for her to assume anything about his choice of furniture. Also she had heard that the Parker residence was supposed to be amazing, so she got up and followed Kai closely.

On the way to the parking lot they encountered Perry and Liza again and after a quick chat they learned that Kai was headed to the same direction the two of them needed to go so he would give them a lift.

The parking lot was awkwardly empty, given that a lot of the students were affected by Mr. Collins sickness, as the four of them headed in the direction of a black Audi A1. Bonnie mentally whistled at the sight of Kai's car. She understood now what his concern was about his car was about earlier. It seemed like it was never even driven before, brand new to a layman's eye, only the tires gave it way that the car was recently moved through a muddy street. Getting inside, Bonnie's impression was only confirmed. Everything was neat and clean and she couldn't make out any knick-knack like she had the one time she had been in Jo's car.

After a five minutes ride Kai stopped to let out Perry and Liza at the animal shelter and after another invitation to accompany them, which Bonnie declined, they were alone again. Kai pulled onto a small parking lot and got out to get the dry cleaning Jo had been nagging about and they got going again.

"So, what's the deal with you and mankind's furry friends?" Kai had picked up on her unease concerning going with Liza and Perry.

"Nothing, I think it is wonderful that people are caring about animals, as long as said animals are staying five feet away from me." Bonnie admitted and earned a laugh from Kai.

"What, you wanna tell me that you love all the animals that are out there?" she asked angrily.

"Most defiantly not. But it seems like you never seem to stop surprising me Ms. Bennett." Kai turned into a quarter of the town Bonnie only knew from driving through it. It was where the properties were huge, so you could have a football game played on them. It was perfect for rich people or families with a lot of kids. It almost seemed rural here.

"Why do you say that?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, I have gotten a pretty good picture of what is Bonnie Bennett but some details just don't seem to add up. Like, you have a teddy bear by your bedside but you don't seem to like pets or animals of any kind."

"I am not as girly as you might think." She said bitchy.

"Believe me; I would never mistake you as girly." And with that statement Kai parked his car in front of a big white house at the end of a road.

 **Author's note: So this chapter is the beginning of a multiple chapter storyline playing out during this day. I have a lot to include into this part of the story so that's the reason for splitting it into more parts. I have to say that now that it is revealed that Bonnie's character won't return for a possible ninth season, I am really hoping the producers are wrapping the story up in season 8. Can't say I am the biggest fan of the show any more. So, hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	12. Chapter Twelve: Propositions

Chapter Twelve: Propositions

It seemed like the house was the only one around. Through dense standing trees one could peek the roofs of the neighborhood's other houses, standing in a far distance. The huge porch was enclosed with fancy columns and a little hedge surrounded the building. A spacious lawn before and behind the house stretched itself out before Bonnie. She was impressed by the two-storey house that seemed so inviting that Bonnie instantly felt at ease. The meadow the house was standing on was so huge that it almost made the house look lost on it.

Kai got out of the car and Bonnie followed him shortly after, giving herself another half second to appreciate the view. It was a perfect house to raise a bunch of kids, Bonnie thought as she followed Kai over a desire track to the front door. He opened it and Bonnie entered the Parker household for the first time in her life.

The lobby was light flooded and there was a stair on the right reaching up to the next floor. To both sides of the room and opposite her Bonnie could make out doors. The one on the left was closed but the one on the right was wide open and Bonnie could peek through it into an equally nice dining room.

"I figure you're not hungry since you have almost eaten the plate your food was on, but you want anything to drink?" Kai was being a nice host.

"Yes, that would be nice." And Bonnie followed Kai through the dining room to the kitchen. It was sending out a quaint flair. There was a smaller round table on the right and a white wooden kitchen island on the opposite side of the room. Kai gestured Bonnie to sit and went to the fridge to take a look inside.

"Eeeh, I need to get down to the basement, seems like no one in this household is caring about refilling the fridge." Came his voice behind the opened fridge door. He closes it back up and asked "Want anything in particular?"

Bonnie shook her head and Kai left the room to fetch something to drink. Bonnie finally seated herself in one of the chairs and took a moment to take in the scenery. She was in Kai Parkers home, a beautiful and idyllic looking house that looked even bigger once she was inside of it. If you would have asked her a month ago if she thought anything like this would ever happen she would have laughed in the persons face.

But now she was comfortably sitting in the Parker kitchen, waiting for Kai to return and enjoy his company. She was happy that the two of them had warmed up to each other and was surprised at how fast he had grown on her.

It took Kai some time to get the drinks so Bonnie took out her phone and relaxed into the chair. The house was all silent and she could only make out the chirp of a lonely bird that had either stayed during the winter days or was a very early returner.

Suddenly the door in the kitchen that led out to the yard got opened and a middle-aged woman came into the kitchen, with her back to Bonnie. She was carrying shopping bags in both arms and had a phone pinned between her right ear and her right shoulder. She hadn't noticed Bonnie's presence and she had no idea if she should make herself known. So she just waited if she would notice her and hoped that Kai would return any second.

"I have just arrived home, I was grocery shopping." The woman told the person on the phone. Bonnie took in her appearance. She had long dark hair that was knotted together in a loose bun. She was taller than Bonnie and wore jeans and a square shirt which gave her the look of a horsewoman, except for her shoes, she was wearing sneakers. Her profile reminded Bonnie so much of Kai.

"How come I have never heard of this? Did she say anything yesterday when you picked her up?" The woman had put the bags on the counter and was no leaning onto the kitchen island with her back to Bonnie. Bonnie thought about sneaking out of the room to avoid any awkwardness.

"Alright, alright. I get it. I'll hurry and then I can make it there until 2. See you tonight." And she hung up. A loud sigh escaped her and she turned around to put her shopping away as a scream escaped her mouth. She had realized Bonnie's presence and scared herself.

Bonnie looked apologetically to the woman. "Hi, I didn't mean to scare you, sorry."

The woman tried to regain her breath but had already put on a friendly face. "Don't be, I get scared pretty easily. One wouldn't think that is possible when you're raising a bunch of children but it is." Her fingers ran through the loose strand of her hair and she began walking up to Bonnie.

"I don't think we have met before. I am Evelyn." She reached out her hand and Bonnie shook it. Evelyn Parker, apparently Kai's mother, had a huge and honest smile on her face that forced Bonnie to return it.

"Bonnie!" she stated as she shook her hand.

"So I take it one of my children is already home." She laughed slightly and Bonnie could hear the resemblance between her and Kai's silent laughs. "So, you are friends with my daughter?" Evelyn asked her.

"Your son… actually." Bonnie said and Evelyn Parker looked confused for a second. "Kai?" Bonnie said and now she most definitely looked even more confused. But only for a second and then she looked joyful as she sat down next to Bonnie. She could see her eyes lighting up and now it was Bonnie's turn to look confused at her reaction.

"Oh, you must be Bonnie Bennett. It is so nice to meet one of Kai's friends. I only know Brian and this Walter kid, but Kai never brings them here anymore. I guess that it is better that way." She said the last part more to herself than to Bonnie but Bonnie tried to seem as if she didn't hear her say it. "Anyway," she continued "I guess since he is mostly never home himself, I would never get the opportunity to meet some of his other friends." She brightly smiled at her and Bonnie was surprised at how genuine it was.

Bonnie thought about the fact that Kai's mother didn't know any of his friends and she thought to herself that maybe that wasn't a bad thing. Some of the people Kai hung out with weren't too smooth with her, Brian Glenn and the stoner kid that apparently was called Walter included, so his mom would probably sleep better not knowing the others. Bonnie liked his woman already for her good judgment of character.

"Where is my son by the way? Did he leave you here all alone?" she asked and got up from her seat to go to the fridge. "Bonnie, darling can I get you anything?" She asked on her way.

"No, thank you Mrs. Parker, your son is actually trying to get me something to drink. I mean he said he would when he left. But since he is taking forever I think something might have happened to him on his way to the basement or he just simply forgot what he was doing on the his way through this huge house." Bonnie laughed and was glad as she saw Evelyn brightening up too about her little joke.

"Wouldn't be first time! And please call me Evelyn." Mrs. Parker winked and turned to her shopping bags. In that moment Kai entered the kitchen again and Mrs. Parker turned around as she heard her son. The warmth in her eyes and the smile that build up on her face as she saw her eldest son were so full of love and affection that something inside Bonnie's stomach turned warm.

"I got orange juice, water or any sugar-containing lemonade you could possibly imagine. So choose wisely." Kai said and offered Bonnie a few bottles. As he saw his mother he turned to her. "Oh, hi mom. Thought you had an appointment today?" he asked skeptically. Bonnie chose the orange juice and Kai gave her a glass before going to the fridge to put all the other bottles inside.

"Well, I got a call from your father, telling me that Briana's daycare is closing earlier today so I have to get all the grocery inside and then go pick her up." Evelyn explained and Kai let out a snort, shaking his head. She intercepted her son at the fridge, held his arm with her hand and kissed his cheek lightly. "Hello, my love." She caressed his cheek and his mouth was twitching up shortly in response before he grabbed another glass and went to sit next to Bonnie, pouring them both a glass of juice.

"Why isn't he picking her up then? It's not like your appointment was important or anything." Kai scoffed and Bonnie wondered what this was all about.

"You know how busy your father is at the moment." Evelyn defended her absent husband.

"Where is Gilly then? Isn't she supposed to take care of these kinds of things?" Kai asked.

"I gave her the day off. It was nothing important to do today, or so I thought, so she didn't need to be here."

"Mom, you know it doesn't make any sense having a home help if you just keep sending her away." Kai only earned a judging look from his mother for that. He turned back to his glass and said. "Okay, I tried!" surrendering to his mother.

Bonnie was amazed by the interaction between mother and son because Kai seemed to be so much more at ease when he talked to her. She only experienced this kind of honesty and unconstraint on Kai's side with only one other person, and that person was herself. Evelyn headed to the table and Bonnie thought she was going to retort something on the matter but she turned to Bonnie and asked. "Would you like to eat something, darling? I could quickly cook something if you're hungry."

"Oh, thanks but I already ate at school!" Bonnie answered.

"Sure? It is no problem."

"Mom, if you had seen her eat this crappy foot today you wouldn't ask her this question." Kai mocked her and Bonnie stuck out her tongue in his direction.

"What about you, hon? Have you eaten yet?" Evelyn asked her son and he shook his head.

"No, but you don't need to make anything. I'm not hungry."

"Alright, you two." She returned to her shopping bags before she said. "What about some ice cream? Cookie dough?"

At that Kai's attention rose. He turned his head to his mother and Bonnie could see a smile forming on his face. He turned back to Bonnie and asked her if she wanted some too. She smiled and agreed. There was still a little room left for some desert. Kai went to fetch some spoons and bowls and his mother reached into one bag and handed him the ice cream, for which she earned the brightest smile she had ever seen on Kai.

When Kai actually gave her a portion of the ice crème Bonnie was almost surprised. It seemed like he was going to eat all of it by himself not bothering about Bonnie.

"What?" he asked her as she watched him closely.

"I am just witnessing your very special relationship with cookie dough that's all." Bonnie giggled and Kai gave her a sharp glance but only of a second because he was too busy turning his attention back to his ice crème.

"So how come you two are here so early? Weren't you supposed to take Jo with you?" Evelyn asked form behind the counters.

"The teacher is sick and Jo went to meet some friends." Bonnie answered for Kai because she knew he wasn't going to lie about why he was home early and Bonnie just tried to keep him out of trouble. But of course Evelyn knew her son longer and better than Bonnie did. So she turned to Kai and asked  
"And your explanation, young man?"

Kai only shrugged. "I figured since I don't want to become a scientist that I wouldn't need to waste my time with physics when Bonnie desperately needed my help." He told his mother blankly and she shook her head.

"Don't let your father know this! He already thinks this assignment is distracting you from all the other important duties in school."

"I don't care about anything school related, so this assignment is actually the only thing I have invested time into in forever. But let him think it is a distraction, he always knows better than anyone else what is going on." Kai said annoyed.

His mom grabbed her bag and put on her jacket while turning to Bonnie once more. "Oh, Bonnie could you try to talk some sense into him. I am out of words here. Had to fight this fight too often already."

"I don't think your son would listen to me, but I can at least try. I mean, I hate to admit it but he is not dumb. Making him see everyone else's point of view will probably take as long as he still is in school." Bonnie said honestly.

"I am seeing the point, it just doesn't convince me." Kai explained to the two women.

"Like it said." Bonnie laughed.

Mrs. Parker sighed. "I'll go get Briana and then I'll take her along to the appointment. You two are alright?"

Bonnie nodded and smiled, she was surprised at how welcoming and friendly his mother had been to her, like she had known Bonnie for years, and Kai did the same but he didn't face his mother. His glance was distant and his jaw clenched as if he had to fight back his anger. When his mother had left Bonnie turned to him to confront him about it.

"What was that all about?" she asked.

He stayed quiet, still deep in his thoughts. She punched him on the arm to get his attention. "Hey! What's going on with you?" she wanted to sound angry but when she spoke the words they sounded more concerned.

Kai stroke over the spot she had hit him and finally looked at her. He was angry, Bonnie could tell, but he only glared at her, still saying nothing. That fact made her really worried now. You could say a lot about Kai Parker but that he was reserved was not one of them. Bonnie shifted her chair closer to him and grabbed his hands, which she only now realized where clenched into fists. He squeezed them lightly as she took them in her own. She tried to put all the compassion she had in her into her eyes and her voice when she tried to get him to talk to her again.

"What is it, Kai?"

He hadn't looked into her eyes before but now their eyes locked and Bonnie saw a variety of emotion run threw them. Anger, confusion, insecurity, pain and what startled Bonnie the most anxiety. She kept the connection in place in the hope he might open up to her. He started to open his mouth to say something when he quickly changed his mind and shook his head. He looked down on the table and sighed heavily and Bonnie knew her chance of getting him to talk was gone.

"It's nothing. I just thought about something." He drew his hands away from hers and got up. "So, you're ready to get this presentation done?" he asked with a smile.

Bonnie nodded and got up. She followed him upstairs but she didn't pay much attention to her surroundings. She had to think about Kai's behavior. She was positive that he had shown his true self to her downstairs, maybe unwillingly, but like Jo had stated he doesn't let anyone in easily and so he had pretended like everything was okay. Bonnie vowed to herself to not let this go. She was going to find out what was bothering Kai so much, maybe it was the clue she needed to finally figure him out.

. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"How much longer?"

"If you'd shut up I'd be done way faster, so don't get on my nerves."

Bonnie was writing down her notes for the presentation. They had been really productive today and finished everything up. Now she was writing everything down she needed to present to the class in a few days so that she could go through everything a least once. Kai was sitting on the ground leaning onto his wardrobe, impatiently waiting for her to get done. Every few minutes he'd ask her how long it would last until she was done with her notes and it was freaking annoying. She was nearly done but she wasn't going to admit that to Kai so he wouldn't stress her out even further.

"Do you realize that we have like a million more days to get this done and that you are completely overreacting?" He asked her now. He had started to pound a rhythm on the floor with his hands and Bonnie was close to losing it and yelling at him.

"I am not overacting. I told you I have a schedule and I need the remaining days to memorize and practice my parts." Bonnie said, trying to fight back the anger in her voice.

"Eeeegh, like I said: overreacting." Kai leaned his head against the door of his wardrobe and shot his eyes. Bonnie had been surprised as she had entered his room. Being deeply in thought about his previous curious behavior, the sight of his room had taken her back into reality. It was not that his room was odd or anything, but it was the feeling she had gotten when she entered it.

It was light flooded just like the rest of the house with two big windows. Before those windows there was his bed and in opposite of that was his wardrobe, both in a dark wooden color. The rest of the room was merely functional. A desk, where she was preparing everything right now, a TV in the edge of the room and what had surprised Bonnie the most a punchingbag hanging from the ceiling. Kai had stated that he never even used it anymore but that he had nagged his parents about it when he was 14 until he got one. Bonnie had tried to throw some punches only for Kai to fall to his bed and not stopping to laugh for another 5 minutes. She was never going to do that again, she was sure.

"You know that one can over think something and then screw it up, even though it was really well prepared. And I think you might be doing that just now. When I think about it, you might have done this your entire life. You could have had a way easier life if you had just stopped organizing every second of it, especially what school stuff is concerned. Speaking of, there is a party the night of presentation and I thought that…" Kai talked like a waterfall.

"Do you ever stop talking?" Bonnie interrupted him and he looked at her surprised by her sudden intervention. Then he smiled.

"Not really!"

Bonnie turned back to her notes and she realized that Kai had got up from his place on the ground and made his way towards her, placing himself on the chair next to her and watching her closely.  
"Like I said, there is a party and we should go and celebrate our victory there. What do you say?"

Bonnie didn't look up from her notes as she asked "What kind of party? I haven't heard about this." She was stalling. Of course she hadn't heard about this because she wasn't quiet as involved in the local party scene as Kai was. She was only rarely going to parties. Only if Faye dragged her there, and then Faye was always the one to know about the parties and not Bonnie.

"It's just some chick partying at her house. She throws them regularly when she comes back from boarding school. I don't know her well but I know her parties are always good. Everyone in school is talking about it. How come you never heard of it?"

Bonnie didn't want to admit that she wasn't listening to facts like these when she was in school. It was not that she was no party girl but she liked staying home and she never really cared about the gossip of the school. So she shrugged as she lay down her pen. She was done with her notes.

"So, what do you say?" Kai asked.

"We'll see. I have friends over from Virginia that weekend and I think I'll have to ask them if they want to come."

"Just tell them this is the most iconic party in town and they will want to. Come on, Bon, this will be fun." He was smiling brightly and enthusiastically at her, slightly punching her arm. She had to smile too and wanted to say yes only because she saw that Kai was really excited for this and it seemed like he really wanted her to join him.

"Well, I'll ask them. Let you know when we decide." Bonnie said. She wasn't too keen on going to that party. There would be all the wrong people in one place and she didn't want Elena and Caroline to think this was the kind of people she spends her time with. She hoped the two of them would be tried from their journey and would want to stay home. But if she presented the party like Kai wanted her to she knew her best friends would never say no. She was going to have to play it down a lot, if she wanted to avoid any weird interactions of the Portland fraction of her life.

She and Kai changed a long silent look. When Bonnie decided it was time to prep the presentation, Kai tilted his head and looked like he had something to say.

"What?" she asked.

"Promise me something?"

"I already told you I'd ask them." She said bugged and turned away from him.

"It's not about that." Kai admitted and as Bonnie looked back to him he had this mischievous smile on his face that told her he was up to no good. "I played along with everything concerning this assignment and I really did a fabulous job with it. I did everything you demanded of me and I think earned something for that."

"I am already giving you an assessment for your work, that should cut it, don't you think?"

"I don't care about this stupid assessment thing. I mean like a real reward." He started intensely into her eyes and she dared to look away even though the turn of the conversation and the intense look in his eyes started to make her feel nervous.

"What do you want?" she asked bravely.

"One day!"

"One day?"

"Yup, one day, any day. I get choose it and you can't do anything about it. One day in which I can decide everything that you get to do and you have to do it without hesitation and discussion. This probably sounds alarming to you but I promise you, it will be worth it."

Bonnie's face turned shocked. She hadn't anticipated this kind of proposition. She had thought that maybe he would make her go to some stupid party with him or something like that. But the way that he made this sound made her feel slightly panicked. What did he want to do with a whole day of her time? Bonnie knew he was known for making trouble and she didn't want to get involved in any of this. She stayed silent for quite some time and Kai never let her out of his sighed to watch every reaction and emoting forming on her face. Bonnie was afraid to turn him down, this whole proposition was scaring her to the bone because she couldn't let Kai Parker have this huge impact on her life, or one day of her life even, giving him complete control. She knew this day would turn out to be a disaster and she was not ready to change from good to bad girl. She sighed heavily and was shocked about the next words that came out of her mouth.

"Are we going to do anything illegal?"

"Can't promise that there won't be any obstacles thrown our way by the law but I can promise you that I will keep you out of trouble as good as I can." He answered and his answer scared her even more. He was honest with her, as always, he wanted her to know what she was going to get herself into. Of course she knew they wouldn't end up killing someone and if he was going to protect her it couldn't be too bad, right?

"So, what do you say? And remember, the moment you agree to this, there is no going back!" He warned her once more and reached out his hand for her to either take the deal or decline it.

She reached out her hand to, against her better judgment, accept his proposition but before he could take a hold of her hand she drew it back. He looked at her questioningly.

She sighed and looked deeply into his eyes; she needed to know one thing and she needed to know if he was lying about it.

"We're not going to do something too crazy and you'll make sure that I won't end up in a police car. And if I say I want out, I get out. Promise!" Bonnie demanded.

"Bonnie, this day is about fun. What do you think I'm planning for us, a day with the Russian mob?" Kai asked mockingly. But his smile was victorious; he knew she wasn't going to back out now.

"Promise me!" She demanded.

"Okay, okay, I promise." He was still holding out his hand for her to take it. There was just one more thing.

"Can I trust you?" she asked. A question that hold more meaning to it than it seemed. She was not only asking if she could trust him with this promise but if she could trust him at all. Something she had to know if she was going to keep him as a part of her life. Something she had asked herself several times now.

He looked right into her eyes, also realizing the importance of the question and his answer to it.  
"Yes, Bonnie, you can trust me." He said seriously and Bonnie believed him. She took his hand and shook it, immediately regretting it as she saw the triumphant look on his face and she took her hand out of his hold.

"God help me." She said to the ceiling and knew this was exaggerated but she wasn't going to seem like a coward.

"It's too late for that. You already made a deal with the devil!" Kai leaned back into the chair and watched her ravel in doubt and uncertainty about what he had planned with amusement. She glared at him.

"You can always back out. Like we agreed, you want out, you get out!" He said knowing she would never do that.

"Like that is possible!" she said.

"Why not? It was part of your negotiation." Kai stated.

"Don't pretend like I am ever going to use that option. I can never really get out now." She said and added a little more silent. "Not anymore."

"But you have the option."

"No, you want to know why? Because we are friends now! And you cannot back out friendship like that." There it was. Out in the open. The fact that both of them had been tiptoeing around for the past few weeks. Bonnie had said it and officially included him into her life, as a friend. A sudden nervousness grew in her because he was just watching her with an unreadable expression. Didn't he agree with her? That they were friends? Was he going to say that what they were having was nothing like friendship and she was delusional for thinking that?

But then a smile grew on his face and Bonnie knew that that was his silent agreement to their new vocalized friendship state. At first it was genuine and then it turned mischievous.  
"Oh, Bonnie Bennett you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

 **Author's note: Part 2 of my multiple-chapter ark. Hope you liked it. I promise this isn't going to last forever and we will come to some new aspects of the story soon. I have so much left to tell. Until next chapter, LiLaAir.**


	13. Chapter Thirteen: Elucidation

Chapter Thirteen: Elucidation

"And we're officially done!" Bonnie raised her hand for Kai to high-five it and he did while turning around and walking to his bed to sit there. Bonnie smiled triumphantly as she put all her notes into her bag so she wouldn't lose them. When she was looking back to Kai he was watching her with a weird expression.

"Anything wrong? Thought you'd be happier now."

"Trust me, I am. It's just… you! I mean, I think I have never seen you more content. How can school stuff make you so happy?" He scoffed.

"I simply like it when my planning is succeeding, that's all. It gives me the feeling of safety and accomplishment." Bonnie said while she was headed his direction.

"Girl, you are in desperate need of a hobby." He laughed and let himself fall backwards on his bed. Bonnie stood only a few inches away from him and watched him from above.

"I have enough to do already. Plus, I consider my friends my biggest hobby."

"Weren't you on the cheerleading squad once?" Kai lifted his upper body and supported it with his forearm. He was watching the wall opposite him, seemingly remembering something.

Bonnie was a little embarrassed. Back when she lived in Mystic Falls Elena, Caroline and Bonnie always dreamed of being the star cheerleaders of Mystic Falls High. While Caroline and Elena succeeded in it, Bonnie had tried out to become a member of Jefferson High's own cheerleading team and actually got in. But she had evolved from her once girlish self and being with all these chicks that had nothing better to talk about then lipstick and getting the attention of some guy they fancied, Bonnie quickly noticed that her one time goal was not the same without her two best friends. Also, she hadn't made any friends on the squad so she quit only a few weeks after the first game of the season and was trying her best to make those shameful weeks disappear in everyone's memory. The fact that Kai remembered it marveled Bonnie as much as it made her feel uncomfortable. So she always kind of had his attention if he remembered that about her.

"I am not speaking of this temporary insanity of mine that drove me to think I needed to be part of that team." Bonnie admitted and placed herself next to Kai on the bed. She didn't dare to look at him, because she knew that right now his face was covered in a huge mocking and judging smile. She looked down to the floor, fighting back her own smile and shook her head. She felt Kai sit back up and he was leaning over to whisper in her ear.

"Go crocodiles!"

Bonnie punched him in the gut with her fist to make him shut up. When he groaned from the pain it caused him he held his stomach and fell back on his back, Bonnie realized the punch had been harder and better placed as she wanted it to turn out. She turned to him and was already giving him apology after apology for hurting him involuntarily when he started to laugh and Bonnie realized he had been putting on a show. For that he earned a real punch but he only laughed about that.

"You're mean!" Bonnie complained.

"Well, you knew that before." Kai said a little breathless due to all the laughing about Bonnie. Bonnie looked at him and pouted, walking over to the desk chair.

In that moment the door to Kai's room got opened in a swing and Bonnie's head turned that direction. A small figure with brown hair ran into the room and Bonnie watched Kai wrap his head around the situation too late because he was only saying a loud "NO" before the small body jumped off the ground and directly onto Kai! Now he really groaned in pain.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that, Briana?" Kai hissed, with a voice that was only half angry. Bonnie took in the appearance of the girl that had just landed on Kai's stomach. She was about four years old and had the same hair color as him. Her eyes were so big and bright that Bonnie thought the girl mostly existed of eyeballs and she was wearing the infectious smile only children can muster. The resemblance between Kai and his little sister was not too obvious but Bonnie could still tell.

"Mommy bought me a coloring book today. I already painted some pictures. Do you want to see them?" Briana asked her brother.

Kai set back up, heaving Briana off of him and placing her next to him on the bed. "No, I don't want to see them because if I agree on looking at them you are going to force me to color one with you and I have neither time nor the wish to do so." Kai responded.

Briana watched him with the meanest snoot she could come up with and looked offended to the opposite side of the room, realizing Bonnie's presence in the process. Her eyes widened a bit and all of a sudden the confident look in her eyes was gone. Briana slid closer to Kai, seemingly scared by the stranger's presence in the room. Bonnie smiled at her but she only turned back to Kai.

"Is that your friend?" she asked.

"Yes."

"What is her name?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself? You have a mouth and you are very capable of using it." He said starting to sound a little annoyed by his sister. "And after you learned it you can go back to your room and leave us alone."

Briana didn't move an inch but she shyly turned to Bonnie and took in her features. "What's your name?" she asked.

"My name is Bonnie! And what is yours?"

"Briana!"

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Briana." Bonnie smiled at the little girl.

She turned back to Kai and tried to climb on his lab but he successfully placed her back next to him. "So now you know her! It is time to go." He said.

"Today we painted the windows of the kindergarten with our hands." Briana ignored her brothers try to get rid of her. "My color was blue and I made the sky. Ms. Philips let me stand on a huge stool for that because I am too small."

Kai turned to her with a mean look on his face. Bonnie witnessed an idea forming in his mind to get rid of his little sister and said "Sounds like fun. Wanna know what I did today? I ate ice cream."

Briana stiffened and her eyes were so wide that they nearly fell out of her head. What he had told her clearly bothered her. Her expression turned from shocked to angry and she put her arms onto her hips and pouted. "You ate ice cream alone?"

"No, I didn't. I shared it with Bonnie!" Kai's voice was challenging and he looked equally angry. Bonnie guessed that eating ice cream together was probably their thing and that Briana probably felt betrayed. Briana looked between Kai and Bonnie until she came to a conclusion. "It's okay. You are allowed to eat ice cream with Bonnie." She jumped off the bed and walked over to her. "But next time you have to wait for me. We can share the ice cream together. Bonnie, do you want to see my room?"

Kai groaned in the background but Bonnie smiled and happily agreed. Briana took her hand and led her to the door.

"Have fun!" Kai said. "You're probably not going to get out of there until she turns 15."

"Well, maybe I don't want to leave there either?" Bonnie responded. "I mean, us girls, we know how to have fun." Bonnie looked down at Briana. She was looking at her like she just saved a whole town from destruction, probably because she wasn't used to seeing someone stand up to Kai. Happy that Bonnie was in her corner she stretched out her tongue at him and dragged Bonnie out of the room. She led her down the hallway and opened the last door on the left.

When she entered the room she let go of Bonnie's hand and went straight to the small table standing in front of the window and placed herself on one of the two small chairs.

"Bonnie, look!" Briana called out loud and Bonnie went to the table, sitting on the floor because the chair wasn't made for a person taller than 3'9'. Opening her new coloring book Briana proudly presented Bonnie her latest work. A smile build up on Bonnie's face. She didn't know why but she was already falling in love with Kai's little sister. Maybe it was because Briana had decided that Bonnie was worthy of sharing her tradition of eating ice cream with Kai, or the fact that she wanted to show her some of the things that she had done. It made Bonnie feel welcome.

After showing Bonnie nearly every single picture she had drawn in the past year, Briana came to the conclusion that it was time for Bonnie to meet her army of stuffed animals lining up on her bed. There were so many that Bonnie wondered how Briana fit into the bed with all of them present.

"This is Penny Pennerbacker!" Briana offered Bonnie a stuffed horse. It looked cute and from what Bonnie could tell this was Briana favorite toy. It was a huge honor for her to hold her, she was aware.

"Do you have stuffed animals too, Bonnie?" Briana asked.

"I had a lot when I was your age. But now I only have my favorite teddy bear left." She was honest.

"What is the bear's name?"

"She is called Ms. Cuddles."

Briana hesitated shortly, assessing Bonnie's choice of name for her favorite childhood toy, coming to the conclusion that it was kind of a good name for the stuffed best friend. She showed Bonnie another two animals that were sitting on her bed and told her he whole background story she had imagined for them when Bonnie heard footsteps in the hallway and the next second Evelyn Parker's head popped into Briana's room.

"Briana, I told you to take your stuff to your room before playing." She said in a serious mother voice Bonnie knew too well from her own. "Oh, Bonnie, you're here? Did Briana kidnap you?" She said in a now laughing voice.

"I actually went voluntarily." Bonnie laughed.

"So, will you stay for dinner, love?"

"Oh, I don't want to give you extra work…" Bonnie said but she was interrupted by Mrs. Parker immediately.  
"Oh please, I already have to cook for 8 people it is not going to be a problem adding another one to it. I insist. Briana, clean your stuff up, NOW!" And with that she left the room. Next to Bonnie Briana groaned and reluctantly followed her mother downstairs and Bonnie mad her way back to Kai's room.

He was sitting at the desk, the laptop was opened and he was researching something on the internet, seemingly very preoccupied by it because he didn't even realize Bonnie entering the room. The light on the desk made him look secretive because it only lit one half of his face. For a split second she felt a prickle in her stomach but she pushed the feeling away as soon as it emerged.

"It's creepy, you know." Kai said not turning away from the screen.

Bonnie shook her head and pretended she had no idea what he was talking about. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Now he turned in her direction and rested his head on the backrest of the chair. He wore a knowing smile but didn't say anything. Bonnie rolled her eyes on him and went to sit next to him.

"Your mom just kind of force-invited me to dine with you guys." She reported.

Kai's face turned from smug to irritated. "Force-invited?"

"Yeah, she invited me and then left me no choice. Actually, she didn't even have to ask but just claim that I was going to eat with you."

Now it was Kai's turn to roll his eyes. He turned back to the laptop.  
"You don't have to stay if you don't want to. Mom is sometimes a little over motivated."

"No, I was going to say yes anyway. I think it's nice." Bonnie admitted.

"You won't think that after you actually experienced it."  
… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In the next half hour all the Parker kids found their way back home and the house got livelier and livelier. While the food was in the oven Mrs. Parker went to pick up the twins from the neighbors.

After a while Jo had joined Kai and Bonnie in his room. She only wanted to ask Kai if he was going to take her to her friend's house tomorrow but as she saw Bonnie she got really excited about the new clothes she had bought at the mall and presented it to her. After that the three of them had fallen into a chit chat that made Bonnie realize how nice Jo actually was. She had known that Jo was supposed to be friendly but she had never really spoken to her before. And now that she got to know the real Jo a little better and seeing her interact with her twin, gave Bonnie a pretty good picture of her. Jo was a person she could really like. They could become friends, Bonnie thought. After Mrs. Parker had directed the observance of the food to Jo she went to the kitchen and took Bonnie with her. Kai stayed behind but had to promise Jo that he was actually going to come down to eat with the family.

"Doesn't he normally do that, eat with you?" Bonnie asked Jo on their way down.

"Mostly not. But he isn't home most of the times either, so there is not much of a choice. He usually hangs with Brian and Walter at some lame lake and does god knows what." Jo's voice was full of judgment for her twin.

Bonnie and Jo seated themselves at the table she and Kai had sit at earlier today. The door to the kitchen got opened and Evelyn Parker came in with the babies in her arm. She quickly fed them and tucked them in. In that time Bonnie met the missing two Parker siblings she didn't know yet, Melinda and Bellamy. Bellamy was a nice boy and greeted her politely after Jo had introduced them. He was just as nice as the rest of the family. But Melinda seemed to Bonnie like a little drama queen. Her long blond hair was falling down over one shoulder and while she said a quick hello she threw it over it and paraded out of the kitchen. Bizarrely, she reminded her most of Kai, even though she didn't resemble him at all.

When Evelyn returned to the kitchen the food was nearly done and she was gathering the rest of her children in the dining room. Jo and Bonnie went to sit next to each other on the window side of the room. Joey placed himself in opposite of Bonnie and Melinda and Bellamy filled the placed next to him. After a while Kai joined his them and sat on Bonnie's other side. Joey had started to ask Bonnie all kinds of questions, not that she minded but Joey had never seemed to have any interest in her before, so she was a little confused at first but that had already gone when Kai placed himself next to her.

When Briana came in she was making a huge scene because she wanted to sit next to Bonnie but her mother insisted on her sitting on the edge of the table, next to her and after a while she gave in. Evelyn brought in the lasagna and Bonnie's mouth was watering.

"This smells amazing!" Bonnie stated and earned a warm smile for Evelyn and a snarky comment from Kai for being a toady. Bonnie ignored him and happily ate her meal when everyone got their portion. It tasted as good as it smelled.

While eating the Parkers never let silence claim the table. When Bonnie thought of her own family dinners, including her mom, Jeffrey and herself, it was way more calm and silent than this. But Bonnie felt really good with this way. She had always wondered how it would be to have siblings, she always wanted some, and now she got a small peak into the family life she never had gotten and she loved it. The Parkers were such a nice family and they had welcomed Bonnie with open arms.

"Mommy, where is Daddy?" Briana asked at one point and Bonnie felt the wanton mood on the table drop a bit. The Parker kids' attention flew to their mother. The older ones like Jo and Joey sighed silently and the younger ones like Briana and Bellamy looked at their mother with expectation. But it was Kai's reaction that made the mood tip. He was focused on the meal in front of him and seemed to not have heard what his sister had asked. But the way his eyes went cold and his mimics became the perfect mask gave him away.

"He is running a little late, hon. but he should be here any minute now. He called and said we should already start." Evelyn told her kids.

"How generous of him." Kai commented out of the blue. It didn't seem like he wanted to take any part in that conversation even though it was clearly bothering him.

"Kai! Beware!" Evelyn urged him in a voice Bonnie had never heard her use against him. Kai swallowed another piece of lasagna and kept his mouth shut. Bonnie didn't know why but something clearly made Kai follow his mother's words. Maybe he wasn't in the mood to argue but normally he would have jumped at something like this.

"Can I show him my new coloring book, mommy?" Briana asked and the mood on the table slowly went back to normal. Bonnie realized Jo giving Kai a concerned look over her back. He had turned uncharacteristically quiet from the moment his father had been mentioned and Jo probably knew the reason why.

After a few minutes Kai had seemed to relax a bit but stayed silent still. Evelyn offered Bonnie another portion of lasagna and she couldn't resist, it was too good. As she took back her plate, filled with another huge pile of food, Kai turned to her and raised his brows.

"How can you even be hungry anymore?" he asked, knowing that she had already eaten a fair amount of casserole in school today.

"Well, I have to refill my energy for that I lost so much of it spending the day with you!" she retorted.

"You'll end up looking like Big Mama." Kai spite.

"And you'll end up getting nowhere in life if you keep forgetting your manners, my son." Came a deep voice from the entrance. Kai's expression went straight back to stone and he refocused on his plate. Briana jumped off her seat and ran to the dining room door where a man with grey hair and icy blue eyes stood. "Daddy!" she cried out and ran directly into her father's arms. He quickly hugged her and then put her back down, telling her to go back to her seat, and then he continued to greet the rest of his family with a hello that everyone returned, everyone but Kai.

"I see we have a visitor today!" Mr. Parker turned to Bonnie with a smile on his face.

"Hi, nice to meet you Mr. Parker. I'm Bonnie Bennett." Bonnie said with her most polite voice. She didn't know why but Mr. Parker emitted some strange form of authority. She had the feeling that she had to put on her best face and it would just be enough. He helped himself to his own portion of lasagna and turned back to Bonnie.

"The pleasure is all mine, Bonnie. Tell me, am I right to assume that you are Malachai's new history partner?"

"Yes, that is true. We have been working on our presentation today." Bonnie's alarm signals started and she had no idea why. Something about this man made her feel intimidated and she could see the same reaction on some of his children's faces.

"That is good. Finally someone who can get Malachai out of his laziness. I have been trying to achieve this for so long." The way he was talking about his eldest son gave Bonnie the chills. She had already known that Kai didn't get along with his father very well but she had assumed it was because he was this rebellious boy. The family was so nice that Bonnie never thought that his father was any different. But right now she remembered her mother's words and tirades of hate over the man, what a groundbreaking moron he is and so on. Bonnie always tried to make her own impressions but with the feeling she had gotten from Mr. Parker and the things she has heard from her mother and Kai, she couldn't help the feeling of aversion towards this man.

"There wasn't much to be done; he was very willing to contribute." Bonnie tried to defend Kai, who weirdly hadn't said anything on the matter yet.

"Hm." Was all Mr. Parker responded to that and he started to eat. Bonnie thought that she was safe from this interrogation like conversation but she had cheered too soon.

"So how is the progress of your assignment?" Mr. Parker asked and he directed the question to Bonnie. She wondered why he wouldn't want to speak to his son about this topic, not that Kai would give him a satisfying answer but shouldn't he at least try?

"We have finished everything today, sir." Bonnie tried to hide her growing unease with politeness.

"That's good to hear. And how would you value your work? Is it good?" Bonnie took a quick and inconspicuous look to Kai and saw his yaw clenching. It was the first sign of him even acknowledging his father's presence but he still focused on his plate and said nothing. Bonnie could only imagine how much he was fighting back on commentary.

"Well, our topic is a pretty dry one, but that wasn't our fault. It's the assignment. So, I guess we did everything we could. It's going to work out."

"May I ask how well you did in your history classes before, Bonnie?" Mr. Parker asked and caught Bonnie off guard.

"How is that any of your concern?" Came Kai's annoyed voice from her right. It was the first thing he said in a while. Bonnie saw that he was still not watching his dad but concentrated on his last bite. The conversation had probably reached the point where he couldn't hold it back in anymore. Evelyn Parker gave her son a worried look and then exchanged a glance with her husband that Bonnie couldn't identify. It seemed like she was trying to beg him not to provoke anything.

"I am just interested. I want to prepare myself on what I can expect from this assignment." There was a slight defiance in Mr. Parker's voice and Bonnie had the feeling that this time it wasn't directed to his son but her. What was his problem with her? Wasn't she good enough to be his son's partner?

"How did the two of you get along?" Mr. Parker's question got her back to reality. Now, he had gotten Kai's undivided attention. He had turned to look at his father and was glaring daggers at him.

"We got along fine, dad! We were hardworking, concentrated and braided each other's hair. What's with all the questions?" Kai asked his father annoyed.

"Kai!" Evelyn tried to prevent the inevitable.

"Well, son, since you fail to inform me on thing like this I have to take the chance I get and ask your friend about it." The voice of Mr. Parker was calm but laced with the undertone of a threat.

"It is not that I even have the chance to tell you anything. You either already know everything from your best friend Mr. Bright or, the more likely occasion, you fail to be present to be told anything. Plus even if I had any interest in tell you anything, all I ever get back from you is judgment and I can actually pass on that."

The room was silent. Bonnie had to fight back her irritation and surprise. She hadn't expected the relationship between Kai and his father to be this icy. But she had to give him credit for the honesty he was brining up to him. She could imagine that not all of his children had the bravery to accuse their father of these things.

"Mind your tongue, young man! I am still your father, show a little respect. You can be glad that I haven't properly sanctioned you for all your transgressions in the past years. Your behavior has by far reached its level of acceptance and I can tell you son that I will not be as forbearing as I have been in the past if you shall continue your act of impudence. " Again, Mr. Parker's voice was calm but sharp. It seemed to be his way of intimidating his children and Bonnie had to admit it was working with her.

Kai bit back on a comment, Bonnie could tell, because he was pressing his lips together and was angrily staring at his father. She knew he didn't keep his mouth shut because of what his father had demanded of him but the fact that he would probably snap if he said another word.

"I think it is time for you to give Ms. Bennett a ride home. It is getting late and Bonnie probably has somewhere else to be on a Friday night." Wow, that was a way to more or less polity tell Bonnie to get the hell out of his house. Everyone was done eating now. Mrs. Parker was about to get all the dirty dishes together and bring it back to the kitchen but Kai rose from his seat to take it out of her hands and left the room. Bonnie felt uncomfortable still sitting here. She felt Jo's hand reassuringly squeezing her own and she smiled at her. Mr. Parker got up and left the room in the direction of the door that had been closed the time she and Kai had arrived here.

The small kids asked Evelyn if they were allowed to go play and Joey and Melinda rose to get to their rooms. Mrs. Parker took the rest of the lasagna and went to the kitchen. Bonnie gathered the rest of the dishes and followed her. When she entered the room she saw Kai leaning against the counters with his arms crossed and Evelyn standing right in front of him. It seemed like she was trying to calm him down but failed.

When Evelyn realized Bonnie's presence she smiled at her and took the dishes out of her hand.  
"Thanks honey."

"I have to thank you. The food was delicious." Bonnie smiled back at her. It was weird how much she liked her but how much she disliked her husband.

"That is nice to hear; my children always fail to acknowledge my cooking." He slightly punched Kai on the arm while passing him to get to the sink. He only shook his head. "Do you want to take any leftovers with you?"

"No, thank you. I have eaten enough today, trust me." Bonnie was holding her stomach to underline her statement and laughed, and then she turned to Kai. "So, should we get going?"

He looked in her eyes, the first time in a while and she could see how much the situation still bothered him. Bonnie was positive that a change of scenery was a good idea.

"As you wish." Was his short answer and it was filled with anger, not directed to her, Bonnie knew. She turned to Evelyn again to say goodbye and was surprised by the warm hug the woman embraced her with.

"Bye Bonnie. I hope to see you again soon." Bonnie nodded and went to the lobby where Kai was waiting for her with her bag. She took it, put on her jacket. They were nearly out the door when Bonnie heard Mr. Parker's voice from the room on the left. "Malachai, when you return we are going to have a talk."

"Not likely." Kai said more to himself than to his father and closed the door behind him. They went back to his car but before Kai could start it Bonnie stopped him. "Wait!"

"You forgot anything?" he asked now more calm. So Bonnie had been right about the change of scenery.

"No, I just wanted to tell you that I don't want to get home yet."

Kai looked at her irritated. Bonnie was about to tell him that she as actually worried that if she left him alone right now he would go see his friends and do something to piss off his dad even more. She knew he wasn't going to get home right after he got her home, so she decided to spend a little more time with her newfound friend. "Where else do you want to go?" he asked her.

"Don't know. I mean it is Friday night. Let's just do something fun."

"Fun and you? Is that even possible?" Kai still looked at her like she was some alien. Bonnie punched him for the hundreds time today and was happy to see a small smile building up on his face. Her empathy overcame her and she leaned over to give Kai a big hug. She wanted him to know that she understood why he was so pissed at his father, that she was on his side and that she too thought he was a creepy, mean man. She didn't dare to address this topic again tonight but she still needed him to know. In the beginning she felt Kai's surprise at her action but after a few seconds he resigned to his fate and even slightly returned the hug.

When she drew back he asked "What was that for?"

"Nothing. You know, we are friends now and that's what friends do, they hug it out." Bonnie said.

"And that is supposed to be fun?"

"Yes, jackass. If you don't like it you should get yourself acquainted with it, because I am known to like hugging it out and you are going to have to endure it."

"Alright Bonster!"

From afar Bonnie could see a figure running towards their car. She realized it was Jo only a few seconds before she opened the back door and placed herself on the back seat.

"Lord, am I happy to get out of here." She claimed.

"What is this going to turn into?" Kai asked his sister over the shoulder.

"I just texted Jess, we'll meet at the bowling center in half an hour. I thought that you could give me a ride, little bro."

"Oh, you thought."

"Yeah, you're headed that direction anyways, so just drop me off." Jo had already fastened her belt before Kai could answer her. Bonnie turned in his direction.

"Bowling sounds fun!" she said.

"Does it now?" Kai clearly wasn't convicted by Bonnie's spontaneous evening plans.

"You guys wanna join? How cool, we can play in teams. You and Bonnie against Jess and me!" Jo let out exited. Kai looked from his sister to Bonnie and back. Then he reluctantly sighed and started the car. "Alright, ladies', bowling it is then."

 **Author's note: And this marks the end of the multiple chapter arc. Next chapter will focus on something else. Took me some time to finish this chapter but I still hope you like it. Sorry for any mistakes that I made, I can't remember if I checked the spelling. :D Until next time and thanks for sticking around, LiLaAir.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen: Cessation and Restart

Chapter Fourteen: Cessation and Restart

„What about this?"

„Nice, I like it."

„Better or worse than the others?"

"It is just as well as the hundred other outfits you have shown me."

"You are no help at all." Bonnie groaned and went back to her room.

"One could think that you are actually preparing for a first date and not for the presentation you have to hold in school today." Her mother cried after her.

That was right. Bonnie had been trying on various outfits to find the perfect one to look respectable, professional and still fashionable and age-appropriate. She didn't want to leave anything to coincidence. Rushing downstairs every five minutes to present her mother another outfit didn't help her at all unfortunately.

"You shouldn't stress yourself like this." Came her mother's voice from the bedroom door. "It is just an assignment and you have prepared it very well. It's going to be fine. If you should be nervous about something than it is the fact that your two best and oldest friends are arriving in a few hours and your room still looks like a bomb blew it up."

"Mom, I'll clean it up after school." Bonnie reasoned but her mother only shook her head.

"This one." Abby pointed at a jeans-blouse combination that was lying on Bonnie's bed and turned around to leave the room. Bonnie took a quick look at the outfit her mother had proposed for her and then a quick look at her clock. Shit, it was already so late. She grabbed the outfit from the bed and went to the bathroom to get ready. There was no time to second-guess the choice of her mother. Kai would be here any minute to pick her up.

He had offered to do so on the night they went bowling. She had had a small existential crisis that night as they talked about the status of their presentation with Faye and Perry, who had spontaneously joined them for a game. Faye had only laughed at her for freaking out about the presentation and Kai had looked at her like she was some kind of mutation. Perry reassured him that this was her normal pre-test and presentation behavior and Kai had claimed that he wasn't gonna endure this the next days until the presentation and had made a plan for Bonnie to avoid anything that could trigger her nervousness about that date, including driving her to school. Bonnie didn't have much to say about this plan. After a while Faye, Perry and even Jo had included themselves in the planning and Bonnie had felt like a guinea pig. Weirdly, it had planned out pretty good. Of course she needed a lot of distractions to not think about it but all her friends had managed to keep her pretty occupied the whole week.

After planning their intervention in Bonnie's life, they had started a game. Three against three. Bonnie had been in one team with Jo and Faye and Jessica, Kai and Perry had build the other. Jessica had tried to flirt with Kai at any point possible, and Bonnie had been annoyed by it. She needed to tell herself that it was because of the obvious fact that Kai wasn't interested in her that this bothered her and nothing else.

After the first round, it was clear that Bonnie was the worst bowler in the world. Faye and Kai had turned out to be naturals and it came down to a showdown between the two, which Kai's team won. Only because Bonnie had scored a total of 15 points throughout the rounds and Perry and Jessica had been quiet good. Bonnie had no idea how often she had apologized to Jo and Faye the entire evening.

The doorbell rang and Bonnie startled back into reality. She put on her jeans and went to do a quick but mature-looking make up. Then she went back to her room and grabbed her stuff, double- checking for the notes and the flash drive with the presentation on it. One last look in the mirror and Bonnie was on the stairs.

Running down the stairs she heard her mother laughing. Bonnie went to the kitchen where she saw Kai and her mom sitting at the kitchen table. Abby had poured Kai some orange juice that she had made this morning and as she entered the room Kai had looked up and smiled at her, a provocating glance in his eyes.

"Good morning, little Miss I-didn't-want-to-freak-out-this-time." Kai greeted her.

Bonnie glared at her mother. She had obviously told Kai about the little fashion show she had done for her this morning. Abby had the courtesy to look a little shameful.

"It was just a minor setback. I'm all good now." Bonnie claimed. "You ready? Can we go?"

"Relax. No need to rush. Let me just finish my drink and then we'll still have hundreds of hours before we need to be at school." Kai continued in Abby's direction. "How did you put up with this kind of crazy for so long?"

"I didn't. Normally she is even more unbearable before a test but your 10 points plan to keep her busy actually worked." Abby said.

Kai grinned as he lifted his glass again and finished the rest of it. Bonnie was standing in the door frame and when Kai got up from this chair she went to grab her coat and opened the door already. A cold breeze made its way into the hall and Bonnie shivered.

"Alright you two, I wish you the best of luck." Abby said following them to the door and giving Bonnie a light kiss on the cheek. Bonnie tried to look calm but could only muster a small smile and went out the door. "Bye mom!"

"Bye, Ms. Bennet." And the door closed behind them. Bonnie made her way to Kai's car, which was parked in front of the house. She was surprised when the door wouldn't open as she tried to open it and looked back at Kai to ask him to unlock it. He was on his way to the driver's side and didn't make any effort in opening the door.

"Hello? Earth to Kai. The door?"

Kai leaned over the top of the car and looked at her with intensity. "No whining, no babbling about the presentation and NO freaking out about it from this point on." He said.

Bonnie pouted but reluctantly nodded. Kai smiled at her , unlocked the doors and got in. Bonnie sighed heavily once more to let all the nervousness out before she had to shut up about it for the rest of the drive.  
. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . … …. . . . . . . . . . . .

"Did you go over your notes once more?"

"Nope, didn't need to."

"How? Is your brain so super big that you only have to read everything once and you'll never forget it?" Bonnie snapped.

"No, but you practically drowned me in those notes and I think I got it after the hundreds time you made me prep." Kai countered.

They were standing outside of the history class room. Bonnie had already started the computer and entered the flash drive as Kai had entered the room. The entire first lesson she had been imagining ways for this presentation to go to shit. Now she was near a nervous breakdown and Kai had dragged her out the room for her to calm down a little. It didn't work.

"This is going to be horrible." Bonnie let out.

"Don't!"

"We'll fail miserably." Bonnie's voice went higher and she started to breath heavily. She knew this procedure. Not very long and she would be grasping for air.

"Stop!" Kai tried to reason with her.

"And then Ms. Gibbens will be furious with me." Bonnie started to walk around like a lunatic.

"Bonnie…!"

"I was supposed to ensure this would work and now I'll be the one failing."

"BONNIE, STOP THIS!" Kai had blocked her way and put his hands on her shoulders keeping her in place. She was breathing heavily and just one step away from a panic attack. She was trying to get loose of his grip but failed. He was stronger than her.

"Bonnie, look at me!" Kai demanded and she stopped fighting him and looked him in the eyes. "Calm down. Breath, okay?"

Bonnie tried to slow her breathing while looking into Kai's eyes. To someone that didn't know him, they might have seemed hard but Bonnie saw the concern in them and it helped her regain control over her body. She slowly calmed down.

"Alright, you're better?" Kai asked after a few more moments.

"Getting there." Bonnie admitted. Kai's hands were still on Bonnie's shoulders, giving her an anchor to reality.

"You need to understand that this is just a test. Nothing is going to happen if you fail, which you won't because this presentation is good. No need to panic alright?" Kai spoke in a calm and reassuring voice.

"But what if…!" Bonnie started and looked around him to the hallway but Kai interrupted her instantly. He grabbed both sides of her face with his hands making her look back into his eyes.

"No what ifs today. You need to believe in what you did for once. And even if Ms. Gibbens doesn't like it. It is just one assignment in junior year. No one will ever be interested in this after this year. You'll be okay no matter what."

Bonnie took his words in. He was right, she knew it. She always knew but she couldn't help herself. Exam anxiety had always been a problem but no one had ever been able to calm her down like Kai just did. She looked him in the eyes and nodded, making him understand that she was going to be okay now. Kai looked back in her eyes for a moment and then withdrew his hands form her face, backing away a step to give her space to breath. In that moment Ms. Gibbens passed by them giving both of them a reassuring smile and stepping into the class room.

"You're ready?" Kai stretched out his hand for Bonnie to take it.

"Yes, let's kill all of them with boredom." Bonnie took his hand and Kai snickered.

"That's my girl."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . .

Bonnie stepped outside the classroom. The hallways were empty because everyone was already at the cafeteria. She and Kai had to stay behind to have an assessing talk with Ms. Gibbens. Bonnie had been so nervous.

Now, her first step into freedom took the loaf off her mind. Kai closed the door behind them and Bonnie jumped right into his arms, taking him off guard and needing to regain his balance for a few seconds.

"Woah, what's going on with you?" he asked her.

Bonnie leaned away from him a bit, but still had him in a half embrace. "I'm just so relieved."

Kai laughed and shook his head. He wanted to withdraw from her but Bonnie wasn't done yet. She pulled him back into her embrace and hugged him tight, whispering "Thank you!"

"For what?" he wanted to know.

"For everything." Bonnie leaned away again. "For being there for me. For calming me down earlier. For not screwing this up. For being a more decent partner in this than I could have imagined. For being… my friend."

Kai had finally managed to escape Bonnie's hug but didn't let the body contact disappear. He took her hand, swung her around and placed his arm around her shoulder dragging her along with him down the empty hallway. Their hands were still interlocked.

"Don't tell anyone about it. I have a reputation to lose." He joked and Bonnie laughed as they slowly made their way downstairs. When they finally arrived downstairs Kai let go of her. He stopped and turned to go left.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving. I think I have done enough for today, don't you?" Kai said and watched Bonnie closely.  
The missing commentary about him leaving early made him curious.  
"Wanna come along?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

Bonnie hesitated with her answer. "I can't, I still have class and everyone has already seen me."

"Oh, come on, Bonster. That's a lame excuse."

It was a lame excuse. Kai would have never asked her to come along if he hadn't registered Bonnnie's willingness to do so. Of course she would never jump on his proposition but a little talking her into it was going to get her there. That boy knew her too well already.

"Can you drop me off at home?" she asked him reluctantly.

"I'll drop you off at the east coast if that means you are finally willing to break some rules." He smiled triumphantly at her and with a last view over her shoulder Bonnie followed him out of the building and to his car.

"So what made you bent your moral code and make you ditch school today?" Kai asked her while driving off the school's parking lot.

"This whole panic attack exhausted me. Plus, I didn't get much sleep last night and I have a whole bunch of things to do before I go pick up Elena and Caroline from the airport in a few hours. If I left now I at least could clean up my house before they arrive. And if I'm really fast I might even get to do some power napping."

"Egh, I wish I hadn't asked. Of course Bonnie Bennet has some kind of super good explanation to why she is being a bad girl today. " He mocked her but Bonnie knew he didn't mean it. He never really judged her for her sense of responsibility even though he mocked her about it on a daily basis.

"Don't be like this. It might come to benefit you, too." Bonnie stated.

"Please, enlighten me. How can you cleaning up your mess be beneficial to me?"

"Well, maybe not the cleaning up part of my plan but most certainly the taking a nap part. If I get some peaceful moments of sleep today I might actually consider going to that party."

"Oooooh, no! You're not only considering it, you're coming." Kai interrupted her.

"I said I was going to ask Caroline and Elena if they'd want to come. I never really agreed to. But since I know my friends pretty well I can most certainly tell you that we'll be there." Bonnie said. "And now imagine me having a bad mood because of the sleep I didn't get over the night and now change that image with a powered- up version of me actually enjoying herself because she got some sleep."

"Hm, I don't know but both Bonnies kind of seem the same to me." Kai snickered and Bonnie punched him which only made him laugh again. "Alright, supergirl, I get your point."

"Good, I was questioning your intelligence already."

"Don't insult me, Bonnie! You know that only leads to me insulting you back and we both know that I am way better at being a bitch than you are." Kai turned into Bonnie's street and that second her body already started to let the exhaustion in completely.

When Kai stopped in front of her house, Bonnie only quickly checked if her mother's car was in the driveway and was relieved that she actually remembered her mother's work schedule right. So there wasn't going to be any questioning about coming home early.

Bonnie's hand went to the door and before she opened it she turned to Kai with tiered eyes. "Thanks for dropping me off." She smiled at him and he smiled back when he said "No problem, Bons. Guess I'll see you tonight!"

"We'll see." Bonnie countered and opened the door and got out. She waved at Kai while he drove away and dragged herself to the front door. She didn't know how she survived the day until this point because she felt like she hadn't had a single second of sleep in days. She got out of her shoes and coat and went upstairs, falling into her bed without bothering to change and was asleep the next second.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When she woke up a few hours later Bonnie felt the life back in her limbs. She was so glad that her little nap had given her enough energy to clean up her room in no time. After an hour she went downstairs to cook something and clean up the kitchen in the process.

Normally she didn't clean anything willingly but she was already done with her room and there was still so much time left until her mother returned from work and Bonnie would take her car and pick up Care and Elena. She was so looking forward to her friends arriving that she didn't know how to pass her time but cleaning.

Fortunately the time passed faster while she cleaned the house. Before her mother finally arrived home she answered various texts from her friends asking about her whereabouts and how the presentation went and sent Kai a bunch of angry emoticons for going on her nerves by text bombing her every five seconds with nonsense massaged that she knew had the sole purpose of getting her annoyed.

When her mother finally got back home she was astonished by the way Bonnie had cleaned up the house. She was wondering how she did this in such a short time though, but Bonnie managed to misdirect the conversation when it came to that point to avoid lying to her mother.

And then it was time for her head to the airport. Bonnie took her mother's keys and sat in the car, really nervous now because she was so happy to see Caroline and Elena. She was at the airport in no time, convicting her to wait nearly another hour for her friends' flight to land.

Bonnie was standing at the gate, looking through the glass wall to try and spot the two while they searched for their suitcases but the mass of people wouldn't give them away. Bonnie was bouncing form one foot to the other in anticipation and then, finally, Elena and Caroline walked out of the boarding area.

Her face lighted up instantly when she saw her friends and she couldn't help herself but started to run in their direction. Caroline was the first one to spot Bonnie and just a second later Elena saw her too. Both of them stopped moving and stepped away from their suitcases to have the space to properly hug-greet Bonnie. With open arms Bonnie ran into the combined embraces of Elena and Caroline, all three girls squeaking in bliss.

It took them a while before they separated their entwined bodies but when they did Bonnie was fighting back some tears of joy because she hadn't realized until this point how much she had missed her two best friends. Talking to them on the phone or the internet just wasn't the same as seeing them standing in front of her and holding them in her arms.

As they finally made their way out of the airport and to Bonnie's car the girls have already fallen into their usual chatter about people Caroline needed to report some updates about and information about people Bonnie was interested in.

"Oh, before I forget it. Your grams gave me this for you!" Elena said as she took her place in the backseat of the car and Caroline got into the passenger seat. Elena handed Bonnie a small package and Bonnie smiled knowing fully well what it contained. As she opened it the smell of freshly baked cookies rose to Bonnie's nose.

"Ah, Grams it the best! She never fails to deliver the best cookies to me. Thanks." Bonnie claimed.

"Hope you don't plan on eating them all by yourself! You won't like what they do to your hips." Caroline winked and Bonnie knew that she was only half joking. But the snarky comment made her smile even more.

"Oh, how much I have missed you, Care." And with those words she started the engine.

"So tell us what's new." Elena leaned into the front of the car to have a better connection to Bonnie and Caroline.

"Let's see, I survived another horrible presentation I had to do in class today. I guess I made a few new friends and I might have ditched school for the first time in my life." Bonnie reported.

"BONNIE BENNETT! You did what?" Caroline faked some outrage. All three girls laughed and Bonnie explained her decision to go home early to them like she had done just a few hours before to Kai.

"Alright, I find you're reason pretty acceptable." Elena concluded.

"Yeah, but no word to my mom. She doesn't have to know about this. She would only jump to the wrong conclusion."

"That your new-found fondness of the towns' bad boy is having a bad influence on you?" Caroline teased and earned a sharp glare form Bonnie.

"Oh, and before I forget. What did you guys plan for your first evening here?" Bonnie asked, surprised at how eager she was now to convince her friends to say yes to the party.

"Oh, we just wanted to see what you have in mind. I am open to anything. What about you, Elena?" Caroline declared.

"Same here, you have something in mind?"

"I actually have but I wanted to put it to the vote. There is a party at some girl's house. I don't know her really but my whole school is kind of talking about it. It's some big deal and I thought that we could go there. What do you say?"

"I don't even think that this is up for debate. If Bonnie Bennett wants to party we are going. Plus, I am so excited to tap into the partying scene of Portland." Caroline said enthusiastically.

"I'm in too. Are Faye and the others coming too?" Elena asked.

"Last time I checked they planned on going." Bonnie stated.

Caroline and Elena were already in partying mode after this. For the rest of the drive home they were talking about outfit combinations, the fact that they were looking forward to seeing Bonnie's friends again and the chance to meet the infamous Kai Parker there.

"Trust me guys, he is not what either one of you is imagining." Bonnie tried to calm her friends down on the last matter.

"Oh, let us be the judge of that." Caroline said and suspiciously winked in Elena's direction.

 **Author's note: Sorry for the long wait. Shame on me. And I wish I could say it was getting any better but I'll be off to Finland in a few days so the next update won't be before the end of May, I'm afraid. I'm working on the next chapter already but I fear that it won't be finished by Friday. So pleeeease, don't be mad at me. I'll do my best to update as soon as I am back. Hope you liked this chapter, and thanks for all the feedback. Until next chapter(whenever that may be), LiLaAir.**


	15. Chapter Fifteen: Cozy Get-Together

Chapter Fifteen: Cozy Get-Together

 _If you wanna be my lover  
You gotta get with my friends  
Make it last forever  
Friendship never ends_

Bonnie was dancing through her room like a lunatic. She occasionally bumped into things, like her chair, her bed or Elena for that matter, but she didn't care. She was letting go of all the tension that apparently had been building up in her for weeks now. There was no better way to let go then to dance and sing to the Spice Girls with her best friends, getting ready for a party.

It was still early but the three girls liked to start their preparation early because they knew that the singing and dancing part was going to steal a lot of their time. The friends had a blast. To celebrate their reunion Bonnie's mom had been so generous to allow them to drink a bottle of sparkling wine. Of course they had to promise her not to drink anything else this night, like that was going to happen. They broke that promise the second they finished the bottle and Caroline went to her bag to grab another bottle she snuck into her luggage out of her mom's liquor stash.

So Bonnie was on her third glass of champagne when Caroline decided it was time to use her as a model and started doing her makeup. Bonnie trusted Caroline with her life and she knew that she had good taste, but she also knew that Caroline had the tendency to exaggerate from time to time so Bonnie was now sitting on her chair praying to god that she would still look presentable after Care was done with her.

Elena was sitting on the bed, overlooking the process and from time to time making a snarky comment about the color Caroline was using.

"Don't be so elite, Elena. Once I am done with Bonnie, you are next in line!" Caroline warned her friend and Bonnie had to laugh about the threat hanging over Elena's head now.

"So, Care, since you are not doing anything important right now, you can start spilling some beans about that knew boytoy of yours." Bonnie bugged.

Elena let herself fall on her back but still kept her gaze locked in Caroline's direction.

"He is not my boytoy!" Caroline set right in a sharp voice. Then she chuckled and snickered and her voice was turning sweet. "His name is Klaus and I met him in the Grill. I was there after this horrible decade dance I had put together and Elena was already home. So I was sitting there all by myself and then I saw him. Tall, mysterious and inhumanly handsome. He bought me a drink, a real drink and we talked. After that he kind of disappeared and Elena wouldn't believe me that he even existed. But then a few days later, I saw him in the park and his sister, the slut Rebekkah, arrived in school, and another few days later when my mom was out of town, I got sick and Klaus brought me some meds. He sad at my bed and talked to me, made me feel better instantly."

Bonnie would have killed for a peak at Caroline's face right now but Care's coiffure made that impossible. Care has never been the touchy feely person of the group, that had always been Elena's part, but the way Caroline spoke of this guy made Bonnie think of how much she must like him.

"So you two are together now?" Bonnie asked.

"No… I mean, kind of, I mean… we haven't had that talk yet. But I like him and I think he likes me."

"What is he doing again?" Elena asked from the bed.

"He is restarting his study. He is a politics major."

"Wow, a smart ass."

"You have to come visit us soon, Bonnie. You have to meet him. And then you can see your own boyfriend again. It's been a while."

Bonnie's mood changed suddenly by the mention of Jeremy. He had basically been radio silent for the whole week. Just a few texts here and there but no calling and every time Bonnie had called he was never picking up. Elena had picked up on Bonnie's sudden mood change and focused on her now.

"You know, Jer is really busy right now. I don't know how it happened but he had a change of opinion about failing the whole school year. He is trying really hard to get better in school and that takes some time. He really isn't trying to avoid you, Bonnie. He is just really invested in school."

Bonnie nodded. She didn't want to talk about Jeremy right now. For once because she didn't believe that that was the reason for showing Bonnie the cold shoulder and secondly she knew Jeremy too well, that change of heart didn't just come around. But Bonnie had decided that this weekend she wasn't going to let Jeremy Gilbert screw with her mind. She was going to enjoy the time with her friends and so Bonnie took the opportunity and changed the subject.

"So what about you Elena? How is everything going with Matt? Is he still pissed?"

"He isn't even talking to me. He only throws me some bad glances and then he turns away. Sometimes he is even heading the opposite way when he sees me in the school hallway. I have really messed up with him." Elena admitted sadly.

"But you did right by him and yourself! Neither of you would have gotten happy!" Caroline interrupted and Bonnie nodded to underline her friends' statement.

"And some day the right guy will walk right into your arms and all will be forgotten."

"Maybe that already happened." Elena said so quiet that Bonnie nearly missed it. It must have been news to Caroline too because she let go of Bonnie and turned around to face Elena. Her eyes were wide open.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" She asked Elena.

The later sat back up and looked shyly onto the floor. But she had that gleam in her eyes that Bonnie hadn't seen on her before.

"It was yesterday. I was searching for Jeremy and someone told me he was in the men's room. So I went there but didn't find him. When I got out of there I practically ran into this guy. And then I saw him again in the park. His name is Stefan Salvatore and he lives with his uncle and brother in the old boarding house. He invited me to the Grill this weekend but I had to take a rain check for obvious reasons."

Caroline grabbed a pillow that lay nearby and threw it in Elena's direction. She could barely escape it, because the movement came out of nowhere. And she only stared at Caroline.

"How the hell did you not tell me about this, Elena?" he screamed.

"I… I don't know. Maybe it isn't even worth mentioning. I haven't even talked to him that much. And… I wanted to wait and tell the both of you at the same time." Elena explained herself. Caroline looked furious and the look on her face made Bonnie laugh, which was exactly what the situation needed right now. First Elena and then Caroline started to laugh too and soon the three were back to casual boy talk and imagining their lives with their newfound love interests.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The party was already in full progress as the three girls finally arrived. Neither of them was able to drive anymore so they decided to take the bus. From the bus station Bonnie had tried to navigate them to the address Kai had texted her but her sense of navigation was worse than she remembered and so they had to stop and ask a few people for direction.

But now they were there and could walk in on an already lively party. Caroline had made Bonnie put on a black dress she had found somewhere deep in Bonnie's closet. It was fluttery but short. Bonnie had preferred to put on some tight jeans and a cool top but Caroline wouldn't let her. She said that for that makeup she needed to wear the right clothes and jeans wouldn't cut it. Caroline herself had put on a very short dress. It was golden with sequins all over it. Even in a bigger town like Portland she sure would get all the attention so Bonnie didn't want to know how the people in Mystic Falls would react to Caroline's outer appearance. Elena looked classy chic like always. She wore a fluttery skirt-top combo that Bonnie and her shopped the last time she was in Mystic Falls. Her hair fell down her shoulders but what made the look complete was the dark Smokey eyes Caroline had given her. She looked like a real famme fatale!

As they entered the house, which was already full of people Bonnie had never seen, she felt a spark of regret agreeing to this. These kinds of crowds weren't usually her thing. After taking in the scene they headed for the kitchen and got themselves some drinks. On their way back to the living room Bonnie ran into Faye.

"Oh my god, Bonnie! You are really here. I said I wasn't going to believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. You look amazing." She said, already sounding tipsy. Then she turned to Elena and Caroline and hugged them both tightly. The three always got along very well and Faye had been excited to see them again since Bonnie had told her about their arrival.

Faye dragged them to the sunroom where the music was a little quieter and Perry, Liza and Connor were sitting. Bonnie greeted them all and Caroline and Elena placed themselves next to them like they have been part of this group forever.

Bonnie chatted with Perry and Liza until Faye had the brilliant idea to start a drinking game. Caroline was instantly on board, the two of them were just so similar in some points, and reluctantly after all her friends had joined so did Bonnie. But she tried to not drink too much; she still wanted to look out for Kai, who hadn't shown yet. That made her a little bugged because he insisted that she came today and now he wasn't event coming himself? Still, if he would show she owed him at least a hello and didn't want to be completely wasted when she found him. He wouldn't ever let her forget this moment.

She kept a look out for him but half of the people here were complete strangers to her. But when she got a quick look at Brian Glen rushing down the stairs into the kitchen her hopes were raised. She was about to tell her friends she was going to search for Kai when the music changed and Nirvana's Smells like Teen Spirit roared to Bonnie's ears.

Elena and a pretty drunk Caroline started screaming and dragged her and Faye to the dance floor. Bonnie hadn't had the intention on hitting the dance floor anytime tonight but Faye was already too drunk to care about it. So she went with her friends, taking another shot on her way to the dance floor. She didn't care about staying sober now anymore. If she would be dancing it out she wasn't going to do that with a clear mind.

The four of them danced for another three songs and Bonnie had made the acquaintance with one very drunk guy how didn't realize she was stealing his shots every time he got himself new ones. Because of that Bonnie forgot the time and was closing in on the alcohol level of her friends. But drinking alcohol had the side effect of making you need to pee, so Bonnie made her way to the toilet.

When she made her way back to the dance floor she couldn't find Elena and Caroline or Faye, Connor or Liza and Perry. So she made her way back to the sunroom. Halfway through the room someone grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to the wall. Bonnie was struggling to keep her balance because of the alcohol in her system and the fact that she tried to get rid of her attacker. The person softly placed her against the wall and Bonnie was about to slap the guy when she realized who it was.

Kai's arrogant smile greeted her and Bonnie's hand that was still ready to slap someone relaxed. Suddenly the sight of Kai's stupid face made Bonnie hyper amazed. She let out a high squeeze and through her arms around Kai's neck. The whole act was a little more complicated than she imagined it to be because she was losing her balance and Kai had to hold her in place so she wouldn't tumble to the floor.

"You're heeeere! Thought you wanted to make a joke out of me." Bonnie muttered into Kai's ear.

He drew himself a little back from her and looked at her with a questioning look. "Are you drunk?"

"Duh! Sorry, I didn't take you to be the fun police!" Bonnie pushed herself away from him, suddenly feeling disappointed that Kai was clearly still sober.

He only laughed and helped her place her body onto the wall for comfort. "Trust me, no one ever called me that!"

"Where have you been? I was looking for you earlier. I thought you bailed on me."

"No way, Bonster. I was the one telling you about this, remember? And have you ever seen me bail on free alcohol?" Kai leaned in closer now because the music was so loud and Bonnie wouldn't understand a word he is saying if he stayed where he was. From this position she could make out Kai's smell and it was amazing. A slight fragrance hit her nose, it smelled like the ocean. Bonnie closed her eyes for a second to take the smell in.

"Then how are you not drinking? How are you standing here and daring to talk to me sober?" She shoved him a little and felt that he laughed about this too.

"My little Bonnie, I can assure you I have been drinking. And the fact that I am not as drunk as you are, is because I have a higher tolerance for this. It's just the practice."

"Well that's no fun." With these words Bonnie pushed herself off the wall and grabbed Kai's hand. She headed in the direction of this kitchen and dragged Kai with her, pushing them through a crowd of people. Arriving in the kitchen Bonnie grabbed the first bottle she could find, without taking a look at it and took two shot glasses. She poured herself and Kai the drink and handed it to a doubtful looking Kai.

"Don't you remember? You wanted to celebrate our good assignment. So, to finally leaving this shit behind us! Cheers!" Bonnie clinked their glasses and waited for Kai to show some sign of happiness about her willingness to drink with him. He only took a quick look to the bottle and then his face lit up and they both drowned their shot.

The taste of whatever Bonnie had poured them spread across her tongue and the bitter and strong taste almost made her puke. She was coughing and trying to catch her breath while Kai braced himself on the table because he was laughing so hard.

"Egh, what the hell was that?" Bonnie could get out between gasps.

"That my friend was sambuca and you totally served it wrong."

Bonnie made a disgusted face. "Why the hell did you let me drink this? It is disgusting."

"To see this exact reaction. You should have seen your face. I wish I had a picture of it." He started to laugh again and Bonnie sat on a nearby chair glaring daggers at him.

"Oh, come on Bon. Let me have some fun here. It is not that I get to see this side of you every day."

Bonnie only pouted to this and Kai placed himself next to her. "See it like this, you now know to always check the cover of the bottle before you drink something." He poked her with his elbow and that was when Bonnie broke into a smile.

"See, that's way better. A smile suits you way better than a pout."

"Well, than it is your turn now to find us something to drink. But nothing that is in anyway close to this shit!" Bonnie pointed to the open bottle on the table.

Smiling Kai got up and searched for something to drink. Just a few moments later he returned with two shot glasses filled. One filled with something creamy and one filled with some clear liquor. Kai handed Bonnie the creamy one.

"What is this?" she asked, she had lost faith in the taste of alcohol.

"Just drink, I promise you'll like it." Kai said and after Bonnie looked at him with wide eyes he added. "Trust me!"

Bonnie nodded and said her cheers and raised the glass to her mouth, Kai doing the same with his glass. Bonnie closed her eyes because she was afraid of the taste of the liquor but was pleasantly surprised when a soft, hazelnut taste filled her mouth. She looked at Kai questioningly to ask what it was.

"Good, right? That was Bailey's." He got the bottle out from behind his back and handed it to her. She took a look and poured herself another one, making Kai laugh again.

"Okay, I didn't know that you recently became a Russian citizen, don't you want to slow down on the booze. I mean you are such a tiny person."

"Let that be my problem a'right." She winked at him and he shrugged like he wanted to say 'I tired. I did my duty' and poured them both another, which made Bonnie giggle like a preteen.

"Parker, there you are."

Kai and Bonnie turned their heads in the direction the voice came from and Bonnie recognized the ever annoying face of Brian Glen standing in the door frame and signaling Kai to come with him by a quickly tilting his head to left and back.

Bonnie realized Kai was going to leave her and she turned to face him with a perfect 4-year-olds pout ready on her face to make him feel at least a bit bad. Briana would have been proud of her, she thought.

"Okay, where are you friends?" he asked her turning back to look at her and shaking his head as he saw her expression.

"Who knows, who cares?" Bonnie sing-songed.

"I do! Because you are freaking drunk and I am not going to leave you here all on your own with a bunch of horny strangers who can't take their eyes off of you." Kai got up and looked around the room for a familiar face.

"Ooooh, one might think that you're actually concerned about me."

"Well, I am." Kai leaned down to pull Bonnie back up. "And you are keeping me from getting wasted."

"I am not. I just did shots with you, remember?" Bonnie stumbled after Kai.

"Not that kind of wasted."

It took Bonnie a few seconds to understand what he was talking about. The alcohol already did its toll on her. Kai was talking about getting stoned. That was what Glen had informed him about, that the good stuff was finally here. A thought flashed through Bonnie's mind.

"Why can't I come with you?"

"You want to do what?"

"I could try some pot! Never done it before. I think it is time to change that." Bonnie headed in the direction Brian had disappeared to before Kai caught her arm and pulled her back.

"Wow, wow, wow. Not so fast, Speedy Gonzalez."

"Don't be such a party-pooper, Kai."

"I won't let you do this. I am way to sober to get this arranged with myself."

"Since when are you such a buzzkill!"

"Believe me, I am the last person to tell you what you should consume or not but the fact that I know you, I mean the sober version, makes me think. I guess y _ou_ wouldn't appreciate me letting you do this. So if you ever want to get high, be my guest. But we should talk this threw when we're both sober." Kai explained. "Ah, there is Perry."

Kai grabbed Perry's arm and handed her a pissed looking Bonnie and then he was lost in the crowd.

"Where have you been, Bonnie. Everyone is looking for you." Perry asked her when they headed to the living room.

"You can all quit worrying, I was never in any danger. Just did some shots with Kai that's all."

"Bonnie, there you are!" Elena came running to her and Bonnie started to get annoyed by everyone treating her like she didn't know what she was doing. She stumbled to the couch and let herself fall on it, not very svelte. Elena sat next to her babbling something, but she didn't listen. All of a sudden she felt so tiered and could barely keep her eyes open. After just a few moments she was asleep. The next thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a few people slow dancing in the middle of the dance floor.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Bonnie? Hello?" Elena waved her right hand in front of Bonnie's face but her friend didn't give any sign that she heard her.

Wonderful, Bonnie was lying in front of her, passed out and Caroline was somewhere dancing in the crowd enjoying herself. Now it was on her to convince her drunken friend, high on alcohol and fun, to get her passed-out friend home. Why oh why was she always the one staying sober enough to get things done.

She asked Perry to take care of Bonnie and calm her down should she wake up, but she doubted that would happen anytime soon. Opening a way through the crowd searching for Caroline she found her dancing on a table in the dining room.

"Care! Care!" Elena yelled in her direction.

"Eeeelena! Get your ass up here!" Caroline said as she saw her.

"No, you need to get down here, now. We need to get going."

All that Caroline did was lean down a bit to hear Elena better, but she stayed on top of the table.

"Bonnie is passed out in the living room. We should get her home."

"What? Why bother. Nothings going to happen to her here. She can take a nap while we have our fun." Caroline brought a bottle of wine to her lips.

Elena shook her head and left Caroline alone. It made no sense to argue with her in this state. She was in full partying mode and only the sunlight was going to get her down form it. Elena went back to to the living room. She nearly tripped over someone's bag that lay on the ground and tumbled into the crowd. Just as she thought she would end up on the floor some strong arms caught her.

"Easy there!" a deep male voice spoke to her when he helped her stand safely on her own two feet again.

"I'm sorry. I tripped." Elena explained but the guy didn't seem too convinced. His gray-blue eyes were full of mischief and skepticism. Elena felt like she needed to defend herself. "It is true I haven't had that much to drink."

"Even if you did, I'm the last person to judge you!" He raised his glass to her and took a sip.

Elena looked around. She was in the middle of the crowd, no one she knew in sight and from her place she could see a sleeping Bonnie was still on the couch. So she decided that if there was no leaving this party she might as well enjoy it. In a quick move she took the handsome strangers glass and emptied it in one gulp. The guy only looked at her with shock but also a hint of adulation.

"Please, why don't you take my drink? I don't mind getting myself a new one!" he teased.

"Don't be such a baby. I need to catch up with all these people and something tells me that you are way ahead of me."

"Not necessarily." The guy took his glass back from Elena and turned around to give a bullish-looking guy in a red football jacket a sign to get him some more. Elena used the opportunity to get a better look at the young man. He had short dark hair which was tousled, he was tall and kind of muscular but not like his friend, wore an all black jeans-t-shirt combo and boots and the bright eyes of his didn't quit fit the whole package. But Elena had to admit, he was a looker.

"I have never seen you on any of Chloe's other parties." The guy turned back to Elena.

"That's because I am not from around here. I'm visiting a friend." Elena gave a short explanation.

"Hem, well that can't be a coincidence. That friend is not under any circumstances a certain Bonnie Bennett?"

Elena was surprised. "Actually it is."

They guy laughed. "So I bet you're Elena. Or wait was Elena the blonde one? I can't remember, Bonnie always talks so much."

Suddenly the penny dropped and Elena could finally make something out of this situation.  
"It's Elena and that makes you the infamous Kai Parker! I heard so much about you." Elena rested her elbow on a nearby shelve and watched Kai closely now, her interest awoken now that she knew who she was talking to.

A self-righteous grin appeared on his face as he said "So my reputation precedes me!"

"Well, like you said Bonnie likes to talk."

"Where is my favorite little witch, by the way? I kind of hit the wrong nerve with her earlier. Need to check if she is still disappointed that I didn't take her with me to Disneyland."

Elena frowned. "She fell asleep over at the couch." Elena pointed in the general direction of Bonnie and then continued. "What the hell did you do to piss her off?"

"Piss her off- that might be a little hard. I just denied her the privilege to get high with big boys but I figured her sober self wouldn't have appreciated that." Kai craned his neck to get a look at Bonnie's sleeping form and refocused his attention to Elena again.

"That is actually a very smart decision." Elena stated, impressed that he was still able to see so clearly.

"I am known for making smart decisions." Kai winked at her, knowing fully well that Elena had heard all the stories of his escapades over the years. Elena could see some character traits that Bonnie had mentioned before: he was self-confident, maybe a little too much for his own good, had a sharp tongue and was full of shenanigans. It was interesting because she couldn't picture Bonnie with him at all.

In that moment Elena saw Caroline walking close by and she grabbed her arm so Care could make an encounter with Kai as well. Caroline only looked confused as she got pulled to the side and when she realized it was Elena she said "What the hell, Elena?"

"Care, guess who I just ran into. This is Kai Parker!"

Caroline looked from Elena to Kai and her angry expression changed into a prying one. "No way! You are Kai Parker?"

"The one and only!" Kai took a little bow while saying this and that gesture hit the right nerve with drunken Caroline.

"Ha, I was hoping to get a peek of you this evening but I lost all hope when Bonnie passed out after only five minutes!" She looked around to find her friend passed out on the couch a few feet from them. "She should really learn how to party properly. Hey, since we can't teach her that I am going to assign this to you!" Caroline poked Kai's chest with her index finger and tried to look serious but Kai only smiled at her action because of her face and the "assignment" she just entitled him to.

"I'll do my very best." He let out.

"Goooood." Caroline stepped back contently and turned around to face Elena. "Hey, a few people are hitting the clubs, wanna join?"

"Care, I don't think this is a good idea." Elena started but was interrupted by Caroline's begging.

"Hell yeah it is. Aren't we here to have a little fun? Come on!"

"We can't just leave Bonnie!" Elena tried to convince Caroline and that made her pause for a second. Elena hoped that Caroline would see her point. There was no way she could take care of both her friends if those friends were in two different places but of course Caroline came up with another option.

"Faye and the others are still here, we find them tell them to look after B and then we'll be off in 5."

Elena was out of arguments. She knew Caroline too well, in this state she was never going to back down from her idea and Elena now had to weight on whether to leave Bonnie or Caroline.

"Don't worry, I'll have an eye on Bonnie. She'll get home safe." Elena heard a new voice join the conversation and saw Connor approach her. She turned to him and tried to put all her gratitude into her eyes.

Caroline got exited and clapped her hands. "Well, well than it's settled. Come one Elena." She took her hand and pulled her into the direction of the door but she suddenly stopped and turned back to Kai.

"Oh, by the way you look totally hot, if I wouldn't have some kind of boyfriend back home I would have totally hit on you! Bye, bye have fun boys." And with that Caroline resumed her pulling at Elena's arm. She could one look back one last time to give Connor an apologetic look. When she tried to make eye contact with him she failed and saw that he had a strange expression on his face and was watching Kai from the short distance they had been standing in. And then someone blocked Elena's view.

 **Author's note: Back from Finland and presenting you the next chapter. Had been halfway through this before my trip but had to finish this up today. Hope you like it. The whole partying thing isn't over yet so stay tuned. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	16. Chapter Sixteen: Under The Influence

Chapter Sixteen: Under The Influence

2:07 am

That was the time showing on Bonnie's phone when she opened her eyes again. For a moment she was confused about her whereabouts but then she recognized the living room that had been packed with drunken people partying before she fell asleep. Right now there were only a bunch of people left; most of them were entwined and slow-dancing to a random Adele song.

Bonnie looked around to find Caroline or Elena, or any familiar face for that matter. But the only people left in the room were strangers and this one girl she had seen around school a few times but she didn't really know her so she couldn't ask her where everybody was, plus she was just making out with this guy in the other corner of the room so the interruption would turn out to be very embarrassing.

Bonnie set up straight and felt a jolt go through her head and she realized that she had been super drunk when she fell asleep. A little embarrassing that she passed out in the middle of the party after only a few drinks. She really wasn't someone who could drink as much as she liked.

Quickly checking her vitals and her ability to walk Bonnie stood up and took a few steps. When she realized she was able to walk she made her way through the living room to the sunroom, checking if anyone was there. Halfway there she realized that walking was still not the easiest thing to her and a veil of dizziness clouded her head, making her realize she was still quite drunk.

When she arrived at the sunroom she didn't see anyone but she still sad down because she was afraid to fall. Holding onto the edge of the table, Bonnie closed her eyes and waited for the world to stop spinning. Damn alcohol. At that moment she didn't understand anyone who got drunk on a regular basis.

"Bonnie?" She heard a concerned voice from behind her and opened her eyes to it.

Connor approached her from the side and knelt next to her, holding her hair back so he could have a proper look at her. "I was searching for you. I just had to go to the toilet and the next moment you were gone. How are you feeling?"

"Well, right now I am drunk as hell and feeling pretty terrible about it." Bonnie admitted. "Where are the others?"

"Faye, Caroline and Elena left a few hours ago to go partying. Don't worry Elena is sober enough to take care of them. Liza and Perry just left a few minutes ago, and apparently did all the other people." Conner explained slowly so that Bonnie's dizzy brain could understand.

Connor got up and turned Bonnie's chair around. He put his arms around her stomach and lifted her up from the chair.

"What are you doin'?" Bonnie asked as her head was loosely falling to her chest.

"I am getting you home. This party is kind of over and like you said you are drunk. You belong in your bed. I am putting you somewhere safe so I can get the car and drive you home."

"No!" Bonnie raised her index finger to indicate he should hold on for a second. "I am not going with you. You have been drinkin'." She slurred.

"Bonnie, I have not been drinking. I came here by car and I was planning on taking it back home so I didn't dink a single drop today."

"Ooooh, I didn't realize."

"Don't worry. I blame it on the alcohol… and a few other people." Connor nearly whispered the last part so Bonnie wasn't sure she heard him right.

"What did you just say?" she asked but Connor only shook his head and Bonnie was too drunk to get to the bottom of it. They were heading straight to the door. Connor helped Bonnie into her jacket, which took longer than it should have because she wasn't sure which one was hers.

Then they went outside and Connor placed Bonnie onto a bench on the porch.

"You stay here, I'll be right back. I just need to get the car. I won't be long I promise."

"Hmmm…" Bonnie said sleepily and watched Connor leave.

It felt like it took him forever to come back. Bonnie was sure it had only been about two minutes but she was already tired of waiting. She got up from the bench and strayed along the porch that went around the whole house. She traced the handrail with her index finger and slowly made her way around the house. She wanted to stay close to the front door for Connor to find her when he arrived. When she turned around the corner she saw a person sitting on the stairs leading from the pavement to the porch. Due to her condition it took her a second to realize who that person was.

A flash of energy went through her body and she hopped over there letting herself fall next to him with a boom. He hadn't expected that so Bonnie witnessed for the first time how a startled Kai Parker looked like.

"Did I scare you?" she asked with mischief in her voice.

"Not exactly. You caught me off guard. That is a difference." Kai said but Bonnie knew exactly what she achieved and a grin formed on her face.

"Though you had already left, or someone took you home because I don't think you would be able to make it home alone." He continued.

"I was sleeping on the couch for some time. Connor is actually getting his car to take me home." Bonnie explained and Kai nodded. He was awkwardly quiet and after that so Bonnie leaned forward to have a better view of him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Of course, why shouldn't I be? I'm wasted and waiting for Jo to pick me up."

"It's in the middle of the night."

"And?"

"Jo is okay with playing taxi for you in the middle of the night?"

"Let's just say she owes me. Big time!" Kai said cryptically and let himself fall backwards so his upper body lay flat on the porch, eyes closed. For a moment neither of them said something and Bonnie used the comfortable silence to take a proper look at Kai. Something about him was off. Maybe it was just the fact that he was drunk and probably high as shit and the fact that Bonnie had never seen him that way, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else going on.

Then Kai opened his eyes and the bright blue of his eyes connected directly with hers sending a stitch through her stomach.

"Why does she owe you?" Bonnie asked. She knew Kai wasn't one to open up easily but maybe his current condition was going to make it easier for her to get some info.

"It's a long story. Actually it is not, but…" He turned his head and faced the ceiling. Bonnie couldn't help but think that he looked so vulnerable right now. Kai looked back at her. "I can't tell you, I promised her."

"I understand." Bonnie said. "Just want you to know that you can talk to me. Whenever you need to." Bonnie reached out for Kai's hand and squeezed it lightly.

"So did you enjoy yourself today?" He asked her after a while, changing the topic.

"Well… as far as I can remember I guess yeah."

Kai sat back up in a smooth movement. "You were so wasted." He said.

"So are you right now!"

"True! But I do this all the time."

"And you were mean!"

"I beg your pardon but I think I was pretty deliberate denying you the right to join the big boys."

Bonnie pouted still a little annoyed by his move earlier but she was more grateful now. He did the right thing. Who knows what she would have thought about herself in the morning. "I guess your right!" She admitted quietly, not wanting to give him too much satisfaction about the topic. To her liking, he only grinned at her and kept the comment to himself.

"I ran into your friends by the way." He said a moment later and Bonnie turned to him curiously.

"Elena and Caroline? When?"

"When you were already taking a nap. Elena literally fell into my arms and Caroline convinced her to go clubbing. But I guess she just went with her to make sure she didn't do anything stupid."

Bonnie nodded she could picture Elena being torn between staying and taking care of her or leaving with Caroline, who was probably super drunk at that point.

"I liked them. They were kind of fresh air in here. I get why you spend so much time traveling to this shit hole of Mystic Falls to spend time with them." He said.

"Well, we'll see if I'm going to keep on visiting there as often." Bonnie said, turning sad thinking about all the things that went on with Jeremy lately. Kai picked up on her mood change.

"How come?"

Bonnie hadn't felt the need to talk to anyone about her feeling that Jeremy wanted to end things with her, but right now right here, sitting next to a drunken Kai and being drunk herself her barriers were torn down and the words just came out of her mouth. Kai rested his head on his palm listening to her closely.

"I don't know. I have a feeling that Jeremy isn't into our relationship anymore. He rarely takes my calls, he doesn't text. He has never even visited me here and we have been together for quite some time now. I don't get it. The last time I saw him it was already weird. I mean, I can't describe it but it felt different. And…" Now Bonnie's eyes filled with tears. She tried to fight them back in but she couldn't. "I think he wants to break up with me!" She sobbed and felt Kai come closer and place an arm around her shoulder.

He hugged her tight and caressed her hair with his one hand. Bonnie cried into his chest. She hadn't expected this reaction from him. He was usually a person to run away from touchy situations like this and emotional encounters weren't his thing but this hug was the best thing he could do right now. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better and he knew that but the closeness to someone she really care about was giving her the feeling of safeness she really needed right now.

She let herself fall completely. Every bad feeling she had these past weeks came rushing to the surface in the form of tears. It took her forever to regain control over her actions. All this time Kai hugged her tightly. When she finally stopped crying she lifted her head off his chest and placed it onto his shoulders. Usually Bonnie didn't open up to people she didn't know for at least 3 years but with Kai it was different. She felt like they had been friends for so long that talking to him and crying in front of him came so easy to her, she never had that before with anyone, not even Caroline and Elena, who she had known her entire life.

Bonnie sniffed and let out a long breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to bother you with this."

"There is no need to be sorry. I just want you to know that you can talk to me. _Whenever you need to_." Kai quoted her in a mocking tone and Bonnie rose from his shoulder to hit him for turning this situation over, but she had to laugh about this and that was probably his goal all along. Now she was looking at him with a smile on her face.

"See, a smile suits you way better than tears." He wiped away the last of it with his thump and after that looked her directly in the eyes with a sincerity she only rarely witnessed with him. "By the way, if Jeremy is dumb enough to let you go it is going to be somebody else's gain. I know this sounds hard but if he doesn't appreciate you, he's not for you. You deserve better."

It did sound hard and with every other person Bonnie would be pissed. But Kai always said what he thought and Bonnie always appreciated it. And a small voice in her head admitted that maybe, just maybe, he was right. That it wouldn't be too bad if Jeremy broke up with her. That she would get through it. It would make her feel horrible but she would get through because there was someone else out there that was going to treat her better.

Bonnie had no idea how it happened or why, maybe it was all the alcohol rushing though her veins and the emotional rollercoaster ride she had been in the past few minutes, but a second later she leaned closer to Kai, closed her eyes and pressed her lips onto his.

She hadn't intended on kissing him and she felt that he was just as surprised by her action as she was because she felt him tense underneath her lips. She should just pull back and apologize for kissing him and blame all of it on the booze but for some reason she didn't. And for some reason he didn't either.

So there they were, sitting closely next to each other, sharing a sweet and soft kiss. Something in Bonnie's stomach moved and gave her a weird feeling. Her brain was shut off, from the alcohol and the feeling that was building up inside her. A feeling arose in her that this wasn't enough anymore, so she took all the courage the alcohol had donated to her and tried to deepen the kiss.

Moving her lips slowly over his she waited for his to join her and for a horrible moment she thought he wasn't going to do it. Right when she decided that she was going to stop this and pull back she felt his mouth join her rhythm.

The kiss was still gentle but Bonnie felt more and more aroused by it. She felt Kai's hand come up to cup her right cheek to keep her in place. Bonnie's own hand wandered to the side of his neck and during all of this they never once let go of the other.

Bonnie's synapses didn't seem to work properly anymore. She wanted to be closer to Kai, she wanted to pull him closer and deepen the kiss further. She was wriggling on the place she was sitting on, her body wanting to get off and climb onto Kai's lap for easier access. She pictured herself doing it when suddenly all her neurons got turned back on and she realized what she was going.

She was kissing Kai. Kai! Not her boyfriend. Her boyfriend was sitting in Mystic Falls not suspecting a thing about her betrayal. She needed to stop this. This wasn't her. This wasn't them.

She slowly drew away from him, letting her hand fall back into her lap and felt that Kai was also letting go of her. Confusion spread in her mind about the past moments and she could see it in his eyes as well. They were still sitting close to one another, this face was only inches away from hers and Bonnie had to fight against the urge to taste him once more.

They were only silently looking in each other's eyes, neither one of them able to voice their thoughts or any kind of explanations about what just happened. Kai's bright eyes were searching hers for some kind of clarification and Bonnie once more realized the beauty of them.

No! She couldn't think like this. She formed the decision to back away from Kai so that she could think more clearly.

"Bonnie."

A dry voice came to her ears. It was clinical and she couldn't place the sound of it. But she knew this voice and after a moment of confusion she turned her face to see its owner. Connor was standing a few feet away from Bonnie and Kai, his face was wiped clean of any emotion so Bonnie couldn't read anything into him. How much had he seen? Was he going to tell someone? Did he see anything at all?

'Well, at least he saw you practically sitting on Kai's lap and looking into his eyes like a love drunk teenage girl.' She said to herself and moved away from Kai a little, who was also looking at Connor now.

"Was searching for you. I thought I told you to wait by the bench." Connors voice sounded unfamiliar with the lack of emotion in it.

"Yeah, sorry. I got bored after like 5 seconds. But I made sure not to go too far so you would still find me." Bonnie tried to defend herself.

"Obviously." Connor's gaze switched from her to Kai and his expression changed into one that contained a little bit of spite.

Kai tiled his head realizing this, he wanted to know what that was all about, Bonnie was sure but Connor wasn't in the mood to have a hassle with either one of them because he turned on the spot. "Time to go, Bonnie."

Bonnie fought her way back to standing with a little help of Kai, who tried to stabilize her from where he sat. When Bonnie finally regained her balance she turned around to say her good bye to Kai.

"So, I guess I have to leave you alone now." She babbled because she was a little unsure about how to react right now.

"Guess so." Kai replied. Bonnie waited a few seconds because she was trying to find out whether she should hug Kai or not.

"Bonnie! You coming?" Connor was waiting at the corner of the house, turning impatient.

"I gotta run. See you around?"

"Sure."

"Okay, bye." Bonnie was almost leaving when she turned around again giving Kai a quick hug because she felt like a short 'bye' wouldn't cut it after what just happened. After that she weaved towards Connor as fast as she could.

He was already at his car, opening the passengers' door for her to slide in. When she sat down he didn't instantly close the door.

"I forgot something back there. I'll be right back, okay? Don't run away again."

Bonnie shook her head suddenly too tired to talk. She watched him close the door and turn around to the house. But she couldn't see where he was going because her lids were too heavy and she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. The next second she was asleep.

. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . ….. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .

Kai watched Bonnie turn around the corner and then she was gone. He let out a breath he didn't know he was keeping and let his head fall to the front.

What the hell did just happen?

It was hard for him to sort what just went down anywhere. For sure, Kai wasn't new to the kissing girls at a party but this was something different completely. The kiss was initiated by Bonnie, not him. He had never seen her that way. Actually, Bonnie might have been the first girl Kai had a real friendship with and he never had any intention to jeopardize this with anything involving more than friendship.

Kai's hand went though his hair. He was too fucking drunk to thing about this and she probably was too. He decided to put it at rest until tomorrow when he heard someone approach. Quick, heavy steps came towards him and he instantly knew who it was.

Connor's form rushed around the corner of the house, his previously calm exterior now looking furious.

"Shouldn't you be getting Bonnie home safely?" Kai asked, fully aware of his provocative undertone.

"You…" Connor's voice was full of anger and he pointed his index finger towards him. "don't get to talk right now."

Kai decided to play along for a moment. 'Let's see how this goes.' He thought and was already looking forward to the moment where he wasn't going to be able to take Connor's babbling anymore.

"I have watched your so-called-friendship with Bonnie develop for some time now without saying anything but enough is enough. I know who you are but apparently Bonnie has forgotten that. You are manipulative, breaking all the rules, not caring about anybody and all in all vicious. Everyone knows it but somehow you have managed to brainwash Bonnie, and all of our friends, into seeing some redeemable qualities in you, where there are non. I know the stories about you and all these girls. You are incapable of caring for someone and I won't let Bonnie drive right into her doom. She has a boyfriend. You need to stop whatever you are planning on doing to her. You are not going to hurt Bonnie, I'm not going to let you. Leave Bonnie alone." Connor ranted.

"Is that all?" Kai asked and tilted his head in amusement of this little show.

"No, but it is enough for the moment. Just know that I don't trust you and that I will protect Bonnie no matter what. And if I have to I will keep her from seeing you."

Kai had to laugh out loud. This scene was ridiculous. "I would love to see you try." He said, still snickering.

Connor was visibly confused by his reaction. The poor guy had probably worked on that speech for so long and he now managed enough courage to spit it in his face and Kai not being impressed by it at all made him question his words.

Kai got up from the place at the stairs and took a step towards Connor. He was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable in this situation, Kai could see, because he was looking around for the best way to escape this. What did this guy think he was going to do? Smash his head to the ground?

"So you want me to what? End my friendship with her? On the grounds of you not trusting me?" Kai asked him, taking another step towards him, fully aware of the impression he could give away.

Connor stayed silent. He was fighting with himself to stay put so Kai wouldn't see how insecure he was, but he saw it anyways. This guy wasn't really good at hiding it at all.

"I'll tell you something, pal." Kai patting Connor's shoulder while he passed him. "I will keep on being me and I'll let Bonnie decide whether or not she wants to keep being friends with me. She knows who I am and she still likes me, so I think I am pretty safe to say that our friendship isn't going to go anywhere anytime soon."

Kai was done with this conversation. It was ridiculous and even Connor had realized what a crazy idea it had been to confront him about this. He was still standing stiffly and the same spot. Kai started to walk away from the house. He was going to wait for Jo at the main road.

Before he was getting out of Connor's earshot he turned around and addressed him once more.  
"I think it is quiet cute how you try to impress Bonnie by protecting her against her will. But I think you are only jealous that she is giving me more attention that she is ever going to give you. Maybe you should start thinking about a way to finally make Bonnie aware of your little crush on her or she will never see you that way. But remember, she has a boyfriend."

Kai saw Connor's head turn all red due to embarrassment that Kai had looked right through him. This wasn't a friend being concerned about another friend; this was a guy being jealous to shit at someone who didn't even try to get into Bonnie's pants. How ironic was that?

Kai shook his head once more and turned his back on Connor. He waved him goodbye while heading to the main road.

 **Author's note: Oooops, I did it. Ah, this being out there makes me kind of nervous because it is such a huge thing to happen and I want you all to like how it played out. I actually wanted to do the first kiss later on but I figured you guys had been so patiently waiting that I kind of had to give you something to hold on to after all this time and the time to come. Really hope you liked it. Sorry if not. And now I clarified the problem Connor had with Kai. It is such a simple answer: jealousy. Hope you liked the little twist. I am eager to find out how this is going to turn out myself. :D Either way, thanks for commenting and reading, means so much. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	17. Chapter Seventeen: Different Angle

Chapter Seventeen: Different Angle

Bonnie was straying slowly along the pavement. There was no need to rush or to do… anything. The sun was already rising again giving her enough light to see everything around her. Bonnie looked into the sky. It was still early in the year but she was sure that this day was going to mark the beginning of a brighter season. It felt like the air had changed and the smell of it was different already. Not too much longer and the first trees would start to bloom.

Bonnie looked around. She had been walking for some time now, not knowing where she should go. She couldn't stay home. When Connor had dropped her off she went to her room but Elena and Caroline weren't there yet. She didn't sleep much until she finally gave up and went out the front door. Since then she had been roaming the streets of Portland with no destination.

She didn't know where she was and that was okay. She just followed the paths that her instinct chose for her. It was going to lead her somewhere and it was going to lead her back as well.

The walking in the fresh morning air made her head clearer. All the events of the night came rushing back to her mind. Or most of them. And now that the air had cooled her thoughts, she was able to place the events to where they belonged.

Bonnie recapped: She got drunk with her friends, fell asleep in the middle of the party after being denied to smoke with Kai (thank god, she thought now) and after waking up Connor offered to take her home, put her on the bench in front of the house and she, still drunk, met an equally wasted Kai and… and…

This part was still hard to wrap her mind around. She had kissed Kai Parker. She had kissed him. Sure, he didn't push her back or anything but it was her move. How the hell did that happen? And what did that mean? What did it say about her? About her relationship with Jeremy? And most and for all her relationship with Kai?

Bonnie was confused to her bone. She had to find a quiet and sober moment to talk to Kai about this. She was afraid that things would never get back to normal now. But they had to. No matter how long her friendship with Kai had lasted she wasn't willing to let that go because of a stupid drunken weak moment of hers.

She thought back to that moment. How she had cried on his shoulder and how safe and warm his embrace had felt. How soft his lips were and how good he tasted.

Did she enjoy it? Bonnie hesitated but had to admit to herself that the answer to that question was a solid yes. The kiss had made her wanting more. Stupid girl.

Did she have any feelings for him? That was a harder question. She cared about him, for sure, but was there anything more between the two of them that neither of them had realized until this point? Who knew? Bonnie decided that she wasn't going to get an answer to that question. She didn't need it. She was with Jeremy and she loved him. There was no need to search any deeper for some hidden feelings towards Kai. It was never going to happen again.

She had been so deep in thoughts that she didn't realize how far she had walked. She looked around and something about this part of the city felt familiar. The huge properties along the streets had green grass, even though it was still February. Bonnie was watching this neighborhood properly while walking along the street.

Until she reached the end of the street and she finally realized where she was. But, this couldn't be. How the hell and why would her instincts want her to come here? What good would it be to be here, basically in the middle of the night?

Bonnie shook her head. Something inside her, something she wasn't able to fight, was dragging her closer to the beautiful white house in front of her. The dim light did nothing bad to the beauty of it and while she was walking down the Parker's driveway she admired the view once more.

The astonishing views never got old and lead Bonnie to not pay a lot of attention to anything else. That was why she jumped when she finally saw a figure sitting on the steps to the porch.

"Hell, you scared me!" she said out loud and the only answer she got back was a deep chuckle.

"Hello to you too. I didn't want to interrupt your… girl scouting. But I do wonder, what are you doing here at this early hour?" Kai tilted his head to the right and watched her intensely. Bonnie wasn't prepared for this. She couldn't see him right now, not yet. Not before she managed to plan this whole conversation.

"I… I don't know. I went for a walk because I couldn't sleep and somehow I ended up here. Didn't expect anyone to be up yet to be honest."

Kai nodded like he understood exactly what she was talking about. "Well, I was getting hungry, the freaking downside of kicking off, so I went to get some food and chill in the fresh air. What's your excuse?" Kai held a bag of cheese balls in Bonnie's direction, raising an eyebrow to check if she wanted some too.

Bonnie's stomach groaned and she realized she could really need some food. So she took a step forward and reached into the bag of cheese balls.

"I don't know, I just couldn't sleep I guess." She told him.

"Too much alcohol?"

"No that's not it, I am basically all sober now."

"Then too much on your mind?"

"Probably."

"Like what?"

Bonnie looked to the ground and drew something in the dust with her foot. She couldn't look at him and tell him what the reason for her restlessness was this night. Maybe if she didn't say anything right now she didn't have to, he would get it and would be the one to initiate the conversation she was too afraid to have.

But after a while Kai hadn't said anything yet so she looked up and saw that he was still watching her, waiting for an answer. Shit, he wanted her to start the conversation.

"Like you, actually." Bonnie finally confessed, looking back to the ground because she was too afraid of his reaction.

"Ah, I see."

Bonnie looked up to him. What kind of reaction was that? Was he so self-confident that he knew that the kiss would have such an impact on her? What did he think of himself? Bonnie saw a smug smile appear on Kai's face as he leaned back.

"What? You have something to say on that matter?" Bonnie spit out.

"Nope!"

Bonnie blinked. He wasn't even willing to talk about what happened? She got angrier and angrier with him and herself. Why did she come here? Why was he still up this late for her to run into him? Why did he show no sign of interest in resolving this thing between them?

Bonnie closed the remaining distance between them in two strides and stood over him, trying to look as angry and menacing as she could. She pushed against his shoulder with a little bit more effort than she would use if she was fooling around with him so he would realize how serious this situation was.

"Tell me you're kidding. You can't be this nonchalant about what happened." She snapped at him.

"I am because nothing happened."

"Nothing… what? We kissed that's nothing to you?" Bonnie was furious now.

Kai shrugged. "No, not if it didn't mean anything to you because it didn't mean anything to me. It was just a kiss. We were wasted and emotionally chipped, it happens."

So this is what he thought about all this. A part of Bonnie was relieved that nothing was going to change between them but the bigger part was furious with him for pushing this aside like it was nothing. For him it may have been nothing because he does this all the time, get drunk, make out with a random girl and never speak of it again. But Bonnie had kissed a total amount of three people in her life. The first has been a certain Ben McKittrick in the first grade, the second being Jeremy and the third being him. She usually didn't do things like this, most definitely not when she was with still Jeremy.

All her feelings took over and she started to randomly punch Kai. But of course he was stronger than her. After a few light hits he got hold of her wrists and tried to calm her down. Bonnie on the other hand didn't want to calm down. She was leaning down towards his still sitting position and fighting to get out of his hold.

"Bon, calm down." He said angrily. But she didn't care, she kept fighting until he finally gained all control and she stumbled into his arms. She was now sitting on his left leg, and buried her face in her hands. She didn't know what was wrong with her, why she hit him or got so furious in the first place. She was ashamed and didn't want to face him.

But Kai wouldn't let her. He took her hands into his and freed her face of them, placing them in her lap. Bonnie kept her gaze to her hands, now in her lap. She avoided looking at him.

"Look at me, Bon." He demanded in a softer tone.

Bonnie shook her head and then she felt that Kai tugged a strait of her hair behind her ear. The gentle gesture surprising Bonnie so she looked up and looked directly into his eyes. What a mistake.

His gray-blue eyes shone bright against the brightening sky. And they were full of emotions. Bonnie could only place a few of them but mostly he looked concerned and it triggered something inside of Bonnie. The same warm feeling as earlier that night came rushing through her body and Bonnie felt the need to touch Kai's face.

Right in that moment when the two of them were so close to each other Bonnie knew that those eyes would turn out to be her doom. Not able to resist the temptation of feeling Kai's lips on hers once again she leaned forward and met his lips halfway.

This time the kiss wasn't as gentle. This time it was more, full of want. After only seconds their kiss had deepened and Bonnie started to explore Kai's mouth with her tongue. Gosh, he tasted so good. He had recently brushed his teeth, so Bonnie could taste the mint tooth paste of his and of course that taste was mixed with the cheese ball taste he had just eaten.

Kai slowly and gently lifted Bonnie off his leg and lay her down with her back on the porch. For that he stopped kissing her for a second but as soon as she lay comfortable on the porch he resumed sliding his tongue into her mouth. Bonnie's hand were around his neck keeping him in place and his hands were busy exploring the side of her rips, one of them sliding underneath her shirt.

Bonnie let out a moan into his mouth. This felt so good. Right now she realized how much she had missed closeness like this. Jeremy had been so far away and even further away emotionally and this… this right here was what she needed.

Kai moved his mouth to Bonnie's jaw and placed a few kisses there on his way down to her neck. Bonnie's hand moved into his hair, holding on to it for dear life.

"We can't do this." Bonnie let out between moans, closing her eyes.

"Shhh." Kai tried to shut her up while sucking on her lower lip.

For another second she enjoyed the feeling that was overwhelming her. But then it hit her. This was wrong. This was exactly what she didn't want to happen. This felt… this felt like nothing she ever experienced before.

This was…

With shock Bonnie rose from her bed!

Her eyes were wide open and her breathing was fast like she just did a marathon. She looked around herself to realize where she was. She recognized the sleeping forms of Elena and Caroline to her left and became instantly calmer. She was at home.

There had been no walking around the town and wildly making out with one Malachai Parker. It was all a dream. Still the background to that dream had probably been the confusing encounter with him late that evening.

Bonnie felt like her throat was sand. She slowly got off the bed. First to not wake Caroline or Elena up- she had no idea when the two of them came home- and secondly because she wasn't sure of her condition yet and if her feet would even hold her.

Silently she made her way down the stairs. The sun was about to rise and dipped the kitchen in cold light. Everyone in the house was still fast asleep, only Bonnie was wide awake after her creepy dream. When she thought about it she realized that dream-Bonnie could have figured out that something was wrong about the scenery. The air was too warm for end of February and the light had some strange touch of orange in it. It felt more like an early summer day.

Bonnie went to the fridge to get some ice cold water. She was still a little shaky; whether it was from her thirst or the dream she wasn't sure. She sat down near the counter and poured herself a glass of water, and emptied it in one gulp. The cold of the drink refreshed her senses and she could form her thoughts more clearly.

It wasn't the dream alone that bothered her, it was the combination of this dream that felt so realistic and the actual happenings that night. She had kissed Kai and like she already made clear to herself in her dream, she had liked it. But like her dream-self she wasn't going to find out what the root for that strange and sudden affection towards Kai was.

A sigh escaped her as she realized that she needed to talk to someone about it. Her first guess was Caroline, but she was still asleep and because Elena would be around them for the next two days she couldn't tell her right away, for obvious reasons. Elena would only judge her for cheating on Jeremy even if she was super drunk and that was the last thing she needed right now. Plus, she wasn't even sure if she was going to tell Jeremy about what happened and Elena for sure couldn't keep it to herself at some point. So Bonnie was going to wait until Caroline was back home and she could Skype her about it.

Or maybe not?

Bonnie heard someone arrive in the kitchen door frame. When she turned to see who it was she looked into the tired face of her blonde friend. Bonnie could see what damage the alcohol had done to Caroline and she silently offered her a stool next to her, grabbing a second glass and pouring another drink for her friend. Caroline sat next to her gladly taking the water and finishing it in no time. She silently poured herself another one and shot a quick glance at Bonnie.

"So, what's keeping you up?"

Bonnie looked at her friend, confused. "I just can't sleep any longer. Guess it's the hangover. What about you?"

Caroline turned around on the stool so that her upper body was now facing Bonnie directly. She wore this expression on her face that made Bonnie swallow. Anytime she had worn this in the past Bonnie had admitted to something. Caroline knew something was up, it was just a question of time when Bonnie was going to spill the beans.

"Okay, why don't you stop pretending? What's going on Bonnie?"

"Nothing, I was just thirsty that's all."

"And I am supposed to believe that? I have been your best friend longer than both of us can remember, I know you Bonnie Bennett. You can't fool me." Caroline stared at Bonnie, who tried to avoid Caroline's gaze. She needed to talk to her about what happened.

"Is Elena still sleeping?" Bonnie asked.

"For god's sake Bonnie, don't change the subject."

"I am not. I am asking if Elena is still asleep up there!" Bonnie turned to look at Caroline with intensity in her eyes so Caroline would understand the urgency.

Bonnie's stare made Caroline build up her awareness. She didn't know yet what this was all about but she understood that it was something of importance. "Yes, she is still fast asleep."

"Good, then you have to promise me something." Bonnie said and waited for Caroline to nod in agreement. "Whatever I am going to tell you now, you CAN NOT tell Elena anything!"

"Sure."

"I mean it Caroline. I need you advise but I can't risk you spilling something to her. I know it's a lot to ask but I depend on you! Promise me." Bonnie tried to make Caroline understand.

"I promise, Bonnie!" Caroline said with all sincerity. So Bonnie sighed deeply and took all her courage to confess to her friend.

"When I woke up at the party, you guys had already left. Connor found me and took me outside to get his car. When I waited for him I ran into Kai and…" Bonnie hesitated. She was sure that Caroline already knew where she was going with this story but she didn't say anything, wanting to hear the story from Bonnie. "I kissed Kai!"

Silence. Bonnie looked at Caroline to see some kind of reaction from her. It wasn't likely for her to hold back her commentary but somehow something about this moment told her she should keep quiet, the onetime Bonnie needed her friend to be honest and spit it right into her face.

After horrible seconds of silence Caroline finally said something. "So, was it good?"

Bonnie blinked. "This is all you have to say about it?"

"No, but it was easiest question to get answered so I asked it first." Caroline raised her eyebrows, demanding an answer to her question.

"I can't believe you, Care. I told you this so that you could give me all the shit about it. I need to hear someone say what a bitch move that was."

"Alright, fine. Bonnie what you did was bad and dumb and you should really feel bad right now. There you have it." Caroline barked out.

"Caroline…"

"No, that is what you want me to say, isn't it? You want me to tell you that you shouldn't have kissed Kai. You want me to give you a bad conscience for betraying Jeremy and you want me to talk you out of any kind of feeling that kiss had brought up in you. But you know what Bonnie? I won't do it. You know why? Because this is not what I am thinking at all. Yeah, maybe it is not the nicest thing to do when you are officially still in a relationship but I tell you, Jeremy has been the jerk of the century and of course to him it is going to sound like the worst excuse ever but you wouldn't have done this if he hadn't ignored you for so long. I know you love him and that you think you did him wrong but you are wrong about that. If he isn't going to give you the love and attention you need and deserve than you have to find someone that does."

"No way is that someone Kai!" Bonnie interrupted Caroline's speech.

"Does that matter? That kiss is just your subconscience telling you to start acting, to start listening to what you really want. And that something isn't Jeremy Gilbert if he doesn't change his behavior soon."

Wow. Bonnie hadn't anticipated this from Caroline. Of course she was right, Bonnie wanted her to tell her what a bad person she was but the things Caroline had said made Bonnie think that she had probably planned on saying that for a while now.

"How long have you been holding back on that speech?" Bonnie asked.

"Urgh, forever. I have seen the way you looked every time you or someone else talked about Jeremy. I know you, Bonnie. And I can see that you aren't happy right now. And that had been going on for too long for me not to say something about it." Caroline send Bonnie a sad smile. She had been a little harsh on her right now but maybe Bonnie needed to hear all of this.

Bonnie leaned to the side and placed her head on Caroline's shoulder. Her friend placed an arm around her shoulder and hugged her.

After a while the position got uncomfortable and Bonnie drew herself away from Caroline.

"So, what am I supposed to do? Tell him?"

"Not necessarily. You need to talk to him for sure. About all the things that bother you so you can maybe safe your relationship. But before you do that you have to answer one very simple but important question: Did you enjoy kissing Kai?"

"Yes." The word escaped Bonnie before she could properly think about the question. Even Caroline was surprised by the answer so Bonnie could use her speechlessness and explain further.

"Not the way you think. I mean. I care about him, he is my friend and all and I have never before even thought about the possibility of kissing him or anything romantic."

"So maybe you should find that out."

"No!" Bonnie said determined. "There is no way I am ever going to find out if there was anything else causing this kiss but emotionality and alcohol. I am not going to turn into the girl that fell for her friend. I am not going to be the girl who falls for Kai Parker, ever." And that was the truth. Even if there were any hidden feelings buried deep inside her, she was never going to try to lure them out or do anything to give them incentive.

Caroline nodded. She understood.

"How are you not surprised by any of this?" Bonnie asked her friend.

"Because I have eyes. He's hot, you're hot. Plus, I have seen the two of you at the party. Everyone was searching for you because you never returned from the toilet so Elena sent me looking for you. I didn't see the point in that and when I found you in the kitchen I realized you weren't alone. I knew that you wouldn't be so close with any guy so I figured that it was Kai you were sharing you time with. And I have to say Bonnie, the way you were talking about him all the time and the scene I witnessed in the kitchen. I kind of liked what I saw and secretly hoped that maybe he was going to be the one showing you that your relationship with Jer isn't the gold standard." Bonnie frowned at her for the last part of her argument and Caroline resumed "I know, I know. You're not falling for Kai Parker. EVER!"

The two girls laughed and Bonnie felt more relieved than a few minutes ago. Talking to Caroline had been the right choice.

"I really need to talk to Jeremy, don't I?" Bonnie asked the obvious question.

"I guess you do!"

. . . … . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Caroline's voice woke her up from a light sleep. She was going to kill her friend. The whole night she had tried to keep Caroline out of trouble and now she couldn't even get her sleep?

When Elena opened her eyes and looked around the room she could neither see Caroline nor Bonnie. But their now dim voices made their way to Bonnie's room from downstairs.

Elena sighed. Now that she was awake she could as well join her friends and be mad at Caroline downstairs. She put on her slippers and made her way to the kitchen, suddenly feeling a hunger burning up inside her.

She was about to make an entrance to the kitchen when she heard her friends talk and the way they were talking about it puzzled her so she stopped at the end of the stairs and listened in on the conversation.

"I don't know what I am going to say. I never had to have a conversation like that." Bonnie whispered.

"Well, I don't say it is going to be easy but after that you'll feel better, I promise." Caroline answered. What kind of conversation were they talking about?

"I am afraid. I still love him, Care."

"Then it is even more important to finally tell him about it. You are not going to be happy if you keep it to yourself."

"I know. But still…"

"Bonnie, let me tell you something: Jeremy is just a guy. I know you won't believe me right now but he is. And no matter how he is going to react it is going to be a huge relief for you. Maybe not at once, maybe you will have the lovesickness of your life BUT you'll get over it and you'll come out of it stronger. And you know… there are some really hot guys here waiting for you to come knocking at their door." Caroline teased Bonnie and Elena didn't understand what it was about.

"Oh, I should have never told you about the dream." Elena heard Bonnie laugh. A dream? Elena didn't understand but it wasn't important right now. What she did get form the conversation- that was clearly not meant to be overheard by her- was that Bonnie was going to have a serious talk with Jeremy. Elena loved Bonnie like a sister but she also loved her brother and knew that Bonnie was really important to him, even if he couldn't show it sometimes.

Elena silently made her way back to Bonnie's room and searched for her phone. When she found it she opened up a new text.

 _Jer, if you care for Bonnie at all you should really get your ass back in the game. Can't tell you anything specific but I think Bonnie wants to have some serious talk. And there are some guys here that I wouldn't trust not to try and hit on Bonnie. So get out of your nut shell and be a better boyfriend to my best friend. This is the only hint I am going to give you. Girlfriend code!_

Elena pressed send and quickly deleted all evidence of ever sending this massage. She knew Caroline or Bonnie wouldn't snoop around her phone but she also knew that she just broke girlfriend code and informed her brother about something that was going on with Bonnie. She really tried to stay out of their problems but lately the two had made it harder for her not to get involved.

If Elena wasn't sure that her brother and her best friend belonged together she may not have gotten involved. But she knew how both of them felt for each other and she just wanted two of the most important people in her life to be happy. And the way Bonnie sounded at least one of them was going to not be happy any longer if Jeremy didn't step up.

 **Author's note: HUGE sorry for teasing you guys like that. I wasn't trying to upset anyone with the dream sequence but it was something that I really wanted to do and make sure about the way Bonnie felt about the kiss. I promise, there is going to be a real talk between the two of them soon. Hope I can finish the next chapter soon, because I am kind of stuck there. Maybe it is going to be a little shorter because I just really need to get through it and be done with the chapter so I can get to some juicier parts and to progress the story. Thanks again for all the nice reviews, I appreciate it. You guys are amazing, thanks for reading. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Saturday Feels

Chapter Eighteen: Saturday Feels

If Caroline stopped for yet another super cute dress that Bonnie needed to try on she was going to punch someone. After they had finally gotten over their collective hangover the friends decided that they could do some shopping. Or Caroline decided that they could do it, since they were in a different town and the fashion here would probably be so much different from the things they could buy in Virginia.

So the three girls got into the car and went to the nearest mall Bonnie could think off. She didn't feel too well today so she wasn't really looking forward to spending all her Saturday afternoon in a people-packed building looking over the newest fashion.

They had been at the mall for the better half of the afternoon and Bonnie had tried on so many clothes. None of which she paid much attention to because today was just not her day. She couldn't focus on anything and the air in the mall was becoming more stifling by the second.

"What about this one, Bonnie?" Caroline's voice brought Bonnie back to reality. She had no idea how her friends functioned normally right now but it was probably because of the practice the small town life offered them.

"Care, why don't you give Bonnie some time out? I think she can need a little fresh air." Elena said in Bonnie's behalf and earned a grateful smile for that.

"Oh come on, we haven't even found an outfit for Elena yet. I can't let her get home to Mystic Falls without a super nice new outfit to impress the new guy in school." Caroline whined.

"Alight, but let's just find something for Elena and then get out of here. Find a nice place to eat something and have a movie night, what do you say?" Bonnie offered.

"Sounds like a deal to me?" Elena said and after a few seconds of frowning Caroline also nodded in agreement.

It took them another hour to find an outfit both Elena and Caroline considered appropriate to make an impression on the soon to be first date of Elena with the mysterious Stefan. Caroline wouldn't let Elena buy just anything, it had to be the perfect fit. Bonnie realized that Elena was trying to speed up the process for Bonnie's sake but of course you could always count on Caroline to plan every single detail.

When they finally bought a nice little dress Elena could combine with a fancy cardigan and also wear it in the summer, Bonnie almost ran out of the mall to get some fresh air into her lungs.

With the first step outside she took in as much cool February air as possible. Elena and Caroline followed her a few steps behind.

"Someone isn't doing too well today." Caroline teased and earned a glare from Bonnie for that. Caroline knew exactly why Bonnie didn't feel like her best self today and that was only partially because of the alcohol she had drunk yesterday. Caroline had kept everything to herself like she promised and she knew she secretly acted like this so Elena wouldn't get suspicious but she wished her friend would be a little less hard on her.

"Alright, are you hungry because I am." Elena stepped between her two best friends and redirected the conversation.

"Me too." Caroline declared. "What do you guys wanna eat?"

"Something greasy!" Bonnie said without thinking about it. She longed for some meat.

Caroline scrunched her nose. "I thought about something healthier actually."

"I guess we can manage that also. There is this cool burger place not far from here. Don't judge, Care, they are actually more famous for the veggie stuff they offer and the salads are really good too."

"Sounds good to me." Elena said and after Caroline gave her okay the three made their way to the car and put all the shopping bags into it. Starting the engine and driving a few blogs they arrived at the restaurant in less than five minutes.

Entering the restaurant a waiter greeted them friendly and showed them the way to a round empty table in the back of the restaurant. After only another minute he handed them the menu and the three girls looked through it to choose what to get.

"I don't even have to look any further; just found the perfect meal for me." Bonnie stated and closes the menu.

"What are you getting?" Elena asked and Bonnie told her about the supposedly best burger in town that she was going to try.

"Hm, I can't decide. These salads sound so good and the soups…" Caroline said and both Elena and Bonnie needed to giggle about the fact that Bonnie had chosen a big meal and Caroline was only talking about a small snack.

After a few minutes Elena had decided to try a steak with French fries and Caroline decided to try both the homemade carrot soup and the egg salad. The waiter came to take their order and left to give it to the kitchen.

"So, how was your party night? Anything interesting to share? I mean, if you can still remember!" Bonnie asked with a blink in Caroline's direction.

"Haha, talking about the pot calling the kettle back!" Caroline said fake angry and giggled herself. "I thought it was kind of fun. When I finally convinced Elena to loosen up a bit we ran into this guy, not so pretty but very nice to us by buying us a lot of drinks, right Elena?"

"Well, the way you flirted with the guy he probably thought you would be nice to him later that night too." Elena said.

"Oh, and I could have punched Faye. She was so drunk that she always said that what an idiot the guy was and she said it so loud that I was worried that he might hear it and stop buying us drinks." Caroline reported.

"Did Faye get home okay?" Bonnie wanted to know, suddenly remembering her friend joining the two Mystic Falls girls in the club.

"Yeah, we dropped her off on our way to your place." Elena calmed her.

"But she isn't feeling as good. She texted me a picture this morning." Caroline got out her phone and searched for the photo. When she found it she turned her phone around for Bonnie and Elena to see. Both girls laughed out loud at the picture of Faye lying in bed and looking like a piece of shit.

"Oh, my god." Elena said.

"Poor girl." Bonnie stated with a smile on her face.

The waiter came back with their drinks. "Thank god that we have a better metabolism. Cheers to that!" Caroline raised her glass of coke and the other two girls did the same.

After Bonnie had addressed the topic of their party night Caroline didn't stop talking about it. Elena occasionally jumped in to correct her or defend herself but Caroline reported about every little thing that happened last night and Bonnie wondered how she could still remember so many things if she was drunk like hell. Her friend was a real miracle when it came to drinking.

In the middle of one of Caroline's sentences Bonnie jumped because her phone that was in her jeans pocked buzzed. Someone was calling her and she shortly worried that it might be Kai wanting to talk. But when she got out her phone and checked the callers ID her mine froze.

In bold letters the name Jeremy flashed across her screen. Searching for reassurance she quickly gave Caroline a look and got up.  
"Excuse me for a second." Bonnie said to her friends turned around and breathed in heavily before she picked up.

"Hey Jer!" Bonnie said with what she hoped was the most innocent voice ever.

"Hey Bonnie. How are you doing?" Jeremy's voice sounded nonchalant. So he hadn't picked up on anything, good.

"I'm good. A little shaky but that is because of the alcohol that I drank last night. How are you?"

"Good." There was a brief pause and Bonnie wondered what to say so this wouldn't turn out awkward but then he continued. "You got drunk last night?" His voice was questioning. He didn't know her like this, no one actually did because this wasn't usually her normal behavior.

"Yeah, Caroline, Elena and I went to this local party that is a huge thing around here. I first didn't want to go but you know Elena and Caroline, I just wanted them to have fun while they are here. And then I got a little carried away."

Bonnie heard Jeremy chuckle on the other end and had to hide a smile herself. Then the bad conscience came back and she felt so horrible about what she did last night.

"My sister and Caroline were never a good influence on you." Jer stated.

"That is not true. I am actually safer with them around then when I am alone with my friends from Portland." Bonnie snickered but the statement made Jeremy fall silent once more.

"What are you doing?" He said after what felt like a million years.

"We're at a restaurant. Caroline dragged us to the mall earlier and now we are all hungry."

"Oh, am I interrupting anything?"

"Oh, no. The food it not here yet, we're good." Bonnie reassured him. She had never heard Jeremy being so insecure about himself. Did he know something? But who would have told him? Caroline for sure didn't. Elena didn't know about the whole thing and Kai didn't even know Jeremy. Plus he would have no reason to contact him. So Bonnie pushed her fear away.

"Listen, I was thinking…" Jeremy started but stammered the rest of the sentence. "I thought… I mean you can always say no… but I though… because we haven't seen each other in a while… because of all the school stuff… I thought… that maybe… I mean… your gram's birthday is next month are you going to be there?"

"I planned on coming, yeah."

"Good, good. Then maybe you can save a few hours of you trip for me? So that we can catch up?"

"Of course, I was planning on that anyways." Bonnie had been planning on spending some time with Jeremy but for a different reason. She had decided to have the talk in person so she planned on visiting and talking to him when the weekend of her grams birthday came around in March.

"And then… I thought… I could… come visit you in Portland in April."

Bonnie blinked. Did Jeremy just say he wanted to visit her in Portland? He had never even showed any interest in coming to visit. And now he was saying that he was planning a trip to Portland in April to make sure they could see each other more regularly? What was happening to her boyfriend?

"Yes, that I a great idea." Bonnie said after a second of silence she didn't realize was spreading.

Jeremy noticed her hesitation instantly. "Really? You don't sound too happy about it."

"No, I am! Trust me I am. I was just a little surprised that's all."

"Oh, okay. So I am on this website where you can book flights…any date in particular you want me to come or you are busy?" Jeremy asked and Bonnie could hear him press some buttons on his keyboard.

"Let me think… I guess I don't have any plans for April yet. But there is always the possibility to get a last minute assignment or pop quiz to do so I can't promise you that I won't have anything to do when you come here." Bonnie realized her mood had started to get better by the second. The prospect of having Jeremy here, even if it was only in two month, made her cheerful and almost forget about all the things he had done or not done to make her worried and pissed off.

"How does the 15th sound to you? I could catch an early flight there and stay until late on Sunday."

"Perfect, sounds great." Bonnie smiled in her phone.

After a moment of silence Jeremy proudly reported that it was all set and done. That he was going to fly to Portland on the 15th April and that he couldn't wait for Bonnie to come to Mystic Falls in a few short weeks.

"I am really looking forward to seeing you, Bonnie."

"Yeah, me too."

"I gotta run. I'll call you later, okay? Or is it bad because Caroline and Elena are there?"

"I think I can manage a few minutes to talk to my boyfriend, they won't mind."

"Alright. Oh, and tell Elena that some guy came to our house and wanted to talk to her. His name was Stefan. He said she would know who he was."

"I'll tell her."

"Alright, see ya."

"Bye, Jer."

Bonnie hung up and pressed the phone to her heart. She breathed in and out and felt the happiness flood through her veins. So maybe all her worries were for nothing. Maybe Jeremy was really just busy with school stuff and wanted this relationship to work just like she did.

Bonnie put the phone back in her pocket and turned around to get back to her table. With a little more pep in her step she arrived at the table and had to fight back a smile on her face. Of course the two people who knew her the best in this entire planet caught up with the change in Bonnie immediately.

"What's cheering you up all of a sudden? " asked Caroline.

"I just got a call from Jer. He's going to come visit me in April."

"Really?" Caroline said skeptically.

"Wow, that's cool, isn't it?" Elena cheered. She sounded a little too happy for Bonnie's ears but because she as well was happy about it she didn't give it another thought.

"Yes, he said he wanted to see me again and because I am going to Mystic Falls next month he thought he could come visit me in here in April." Bonnie explained the conversation to her friends and Elena seemed like it was her and not Bonnie who would get a special visit from her boyfriend. "Oh, by the way, that Stefan guy came to your house yesterday to talk to you!" Bonnie added in Elena's direction and Elena's smile widened even more.

"And you think that Jeremy is really going to come here?" Caroline said still sticking to the old topic. Bonnie looked to her and saw the serious look she wore and knew exactly what her friend was thinking or worrying for that matter.

Bonnie smiled a reassuring smile. "He already booked the flight. He is going to be here on April 15th."

Caroline smiled back at her and nodded. Turning back to Elena Bonnie saw that she was watching the two of them closely.

"Did I miss anything?" she asked. "Because it seems like the two of you are secretly talking about something that I don't get."

She was talking about the fact that Caroline knew about last night and that Bonnie had confided in her that she wasn't happy with the situation with Jeremy anymore and that was why Caroline was concerned about the whole thing. And Caroline wasn't the greatest fan of Elena's little brothers behavior towards Bonnie. That was the secret conversation Bonnie and Caroline had, but Bonnie couldn't tell Elena all of it. But she figured that it wouldn't hurt if she told Elena about her thoughts about Jeremy.

"Well, I told Caroline about the fact that I think Jeremy isn't as invested in our relationship as he should be for it to work. He kind of ignored me the past few weeks and even if we talked it was always short and like he wanted to get it over with as fast as possible." Bonnie admitted to Elena.

She only looked between Bonnie and Caroline and said nothing at first. "Why haven't you told me that, Bonnie?" she finally asked.

"I don't know. Maybe because he is your brother."

"That doesn't change anything. I mean, I could have talked to him, yell at him. I would have been as mad as you."

"Well that's the point, isn't it? You wouldn't. You would be mad at your little brother being a dick to your friend but when it was all over he was still going to be your brother and you would still love him. It is not the same. Plus, I don't want you to be my voice. I can yell at him myself. What would he think if every time we had a problem I would send my friend to fight my fight for me. This isn't supposed to offend you, Elena but… you being my boyfriend's sister isn't always the most ideal situation." Bonnie was surprised by her honesty. She loved Elena dearly but it had to be said. She just hoped that Elena would understand and not be mad at her for keeping things from her.

Luckily, Elena smiled at her and Bonnie felt the love her friend had for her radiate from her worm and understanding eyes. "I get it Bonnie. But that doesn't mean that I don't want to know what is going on in your life. Even if it is my brother that is bothering you, I want to know this. I want to be part of your life and I want you to know that you can tell me anything."

"I know that, Elena. And I am sorry for not sharing. But now I can tell you that I will talk to Jeremy about that matter. When I come to Mystic Falls I will confront him about it. I need to do that and I need to do it in person."

Elena nodded understandingly and Bonnie weirdly hugged her over the table, which was harder than she expected.

"Good, now that my two best friends are back to being on the same page let me just appreciate the waiter coming our way with what I suppose is our food."

They laughed at Caroline's talent to lighten the mood and when the waiter actually brought their meals the three friends chatted about this and that and ate all the food they ordered.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"How about the notebook?" Caroline suggested.

"Caroline, how many times have you seen this movie?" Elena giggled.

"That is so not the point." Caroline glared at her friend and Bonnie had to laugh about the scene. Elena and Caroline had had this conversation at least 100 times before and it never got any easier.

"I agree with Elena, we should watch something that everyone of us hasn't seen over a million times already, Care." Bonnie said and earned a frown form Caroline.

"Alright, than I don't have any other suggestions. It's your turn, guys."

Elena and Bonnie looked at each other and started to think about a movie they could see for movie night.

"I have actually never seen Pride and Prejudice." Bonnie admitted.

"Me neither." Elena agreed and they turned to Caroline for her final judgment.

"Fine, let's watch Pride and Prejudice. But I am not making the popcorn." Caroline stated.

"Alright, I am going to make the popcorn. You guy figure out how to get the movie started while I am at it." Bonnie made her way down to the kitchen.

She opened a cupboard and got out some of the popcorn she bought a few days ago with her mom. She was glad that a few of them were still left because her mother had the tendency of eating a lot of popcorn. But right now she was lucky.

Bonnie opened the microwave and put the popcorn in it. While she waited she looked at her phone.

She just received a text from Jeremy.

 _J: What are you guys doing?_

 _B: Preparing for movie night._

 _J: Okay, then I won't interrupt. Have fun I'll call you tomorrow._

 _B: Alright, have a good night Jer._

Bonnie frowned a little when she read Jeremy's texts. She was looking forward to talk to him but she could understand that he wasn't willing to interrupt her girl time. And tomorrow would come faster that she could think so she had something to look forward to and not only look at it as the day Elena and Caroline would leave again.

When she was about to close the messenger her eyes got stuck on another name on her chat list. She hadn't texted with Kai the entire day, which was not necessarily weird but given what happened it let a shadow fall over their new formed friendship.

Bonnie breathed in sharply and took all of her courage and opened the chat. Then she stared at the screen for another minute not writing anything. What would she even say? She couldn't have the conversation about yesterday via WhatsApp. She needed to talk to him in person about it. She needed to see his reactions, even though she knew he was a phenomenal actor, she needed to read his thoughts in his face. And she had thought that she had gotten pretty good at that but with a topic like this she could never be sure.

When the microwave binged Bonnie jumped, so lost in her thoughts. She got the popcorn out of the microwave and put it in a bowl. Before she left the kitchen she turned back to her phone.

Bravely she typed in the word 'Hi ' and pressed send.

Now it was his turn to write back. Bonnie wasn't sure what she was trying to achieve with this chat but she still felt like it needed to happen.

She took the bowl and made her way back to the girls. Right before she wanted to enter the room her phone buzzed and she knew who it was. She stopped in front of her closed door and got out her phone.

She read the simple word that had popped up on her screen. 'Hey'.

 **Author's note: Sorry, but I am not too happy about this chapter but it had to be done. I couldn't include anything else to make it more interesting because it would have taken too much space. So, don't be too mad at me. Thought it was also important to give Bonnie a little Mystic Falls people time. So, thanks for reading and reviewing. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	19. Chapter Nineteen: Breaking of Bread

Chapter Nineteen: Breaking of Bread

"Come on they can't be serious?" Caroline let her head fall onto the table with a loud bang. It was funny to Bonnie that Caroline was the one being bothered about the situation the most.

They had gotten up pretty early today so they could use all the time they had left together before Elena and Caroline would leave for Mystic Falls again. Their plan was to grab some breakfast at some fancy restaurant (Bonnie's mom had been generous these days) and after that check out the new swimming pool in Bonnie's neighborhood. But that was going to get cut short already because from when they arrived at the restaurant and ordered their breakfast to now one hour had already passed and Caroline started to get hangry.

"Alright, that's enough. I'll go ask at the check in." Bonnie got up, equally annoyed by the waiting time and moved to the front of the restaurant to get the waiters to speed the fuck up.

"Go get them girl." Caroline cheered after her, her head still on the table.

She arrived at the check in desk and no one was around. Wow, the service here was worse than in the one diner she once been to with Jeremy. And this restaurant was supposed to be one of the best in town.

Bonnie pressed the little bell on the desk to make herself noticed by anyone working at this place and tapped her fingers at the surface out of annoyance. And she waited, and waited.

She rang the bell a second time and a third but nothing happened. It was like this restaurant wasn't even open and Bonnie would have wondered if that was the case if they hadn't been ushered to their table and already ordered. Plus, the restaurant was full of people. There were only a few in the big room with Elena, Caroline and her but she could hear a lot of voiced coming from the closed door to Bonnie's right that one could rent for private occasions.

Bonnie watched that door and wondered if at least these people got better service because they paid way more than Bonnie and her friends. In that moment the door got opened and Bonnie's eyes widened for a second. She turned around to face the desk again because she didn't want to get caught staring at the people coming out of the room. They were leaving and from the bits and pieces of conversation she could hear she figured out that they weren't too happy about this place either.

Most of them were already out the door but still no waiter was in sight. Bonnie thought about doing the same thing as Caroline and drop her head to the desk but she decided to look around and find someone responsible for this mess instead when she heard a bright voice yell her name.

"BOOOONNIE!"

Bonnie turned around already fully aware who was calling for her. She put on a bright smile to hide her uncertainty because she didn't know what she would be seeing. When she had completely turned she needed to act fast and widen her arms because Briana was already halfway running to her and jumping into her embrace.

Bonnie hugged the little girl tight and looked over her shoulder to see who else of the Parker clan was there and was relieved when only Jo made her way towards her.

"Hey Bonnie!" Jo waved in her direction when she was only a few steps away.

"Hi, Jo." Bonnie gave Jo a quick hug when she reached her and smiled. She was actually really happy to see the two of them. Bonnie took the opportunity and took in their appearances. The two girls were wearing dresses. Briana's was yellow and layers of yellow lace made the skirt look puffy like a dress made for a Disney princess. Bonnie could see that Briana was very proud of her dress. Jo's on the other hand was more modest. She was wearing a dark violet dress that reached over her knees and combined it with a black cardigan. Where Briana's dress was puffy Jo's was slim and velvety. She looked stunning. Their getup made Bonnie wonder what the occasion for such a dress up was.

"Are you here to get some breakfast?" Jo asked and Bonnie heard annoyance in her voice.

"Yeah, that was the plan but it seems like they closed this thing down." Bonnie answered and Jo scoffed in response.

"I have never seen something like this. We have ordered this room weeks in advance and suddenly they are not prepared for us. If I were you I'd see if I could find somewhere else to eat." Jo said.

"I guess that is the only way." Bonnie admitted. "It is just a pity because my friends from Virginia are leaving today and waiting just cost us one hour."

"Wow, I would totally yell at the manager for this." Jo suggested.

Bonnie pointed to the check in desk. "That is what I am here for."

"Where are your friends?" Briana asked curiously.

"Oh, there in there." Bonnie pointed to the big dining room.

"Can I say hello to them?" Briana asked and Bonnie nodded. "If you find them. There sitting somewhere in the back." And with that Briana ran into the dining room leaving Jo and her to themselves.

"So, what's the occasion? Why are you two dressed up like princesses?" Bonnie teased Jo.

Jo groaned. "It's this stupid work thing of my dad's. He holds these kind of things every once in a while and wants everyone of the family to participate. It is more like a show off if you ask me. And we always have to dress up like this. I hate it."

Jo's way of speaking about her father reminded her a little of Kai, even though Jo stayed way more civil with her open criticism on the man. But the information that she had gotten form her made Bonnie wary. That meant Kai must be here somewhere too.

"How did you survive the party on Friday?" Jo smirked in her direction and it was one of those moments when she resembled her brother so much. Bonnie wondered how much he had told her about that night.

"Yeah, had a fun night. I just wished everyone would stop mentioning it."

Jo giggled. "Don't worry, you were not the main attraction that night. At least I heard way juicier stories until now."

"Like what?" Bonnie wanted to know but didn't get an answer because Jo's attention switched from her to the door of the private room she had just stepped out of. It got opened again and Bonnie saw to male figured coming out of it. One was a little smaller than the other but younger and they were both wearing suits. It took Bonnie a moment to realize that she was looking at Kai and his father.

They stepped out of the room and stopped in front of the now closed door. They seemed to be in a deep conversation and Bonnie wondered if that was the first time she had seen Kai and his father interact normally. But with a short glance to Jo she realized nothing about this scene was normal or civil. The two men appeared to be getting along but Jo's gaze was cautious and the wrinkle between her eyebrows made her look worried. About her brother, Bonnie figured.

When Bonnie paid closer attention to the two she could see that Joshua Parker was talking intensely to his son, who was looking to the ground focusing on something other than his father to keep himself calm. Joshua said something and Kai looked up into his father's eyes. He nodded and Joshua placed his right hand on the back of Kai's neck, barely churning him in the process. When Kai mentioned something his father smiled at him and gave him a pat on the cheek before releasing him and heading to the exit leaving Kai behind on his own.

"Hey Kai, look who I ran into!" Jo called for her brother across the room.

Kai turned around and looked into the direction he heard Jo's voice from and his eyes finally found Bonnie. She swallowed hard. This was going to be the first encounter with Kai after they had kissed. When she texted him yesterday she didn't get the feeling that he treated her any differently but she guessed she was going to find out now, because Kai was headed their direction.

Bonnie took in his features. He was wearing a dark blue coat and underneath it a white shirt but no tie like all the other men that had left that room. Bonnie had never seen Kai so fancy but she had to admit it made him look mature and mysterious. And even sexy Bonnie would say if there wouldn't be this expression on his face. He didn't look angry like usually after talking to his father, he looked more… tired. When he reached up to them Bonnie missed the usual spark in his mischievous eyes.

"Wanna get something to eat here? You better look for something else or otherwise you might starve to death." Kai greeted Bonnie and to every other person he might have sounded like every other day but to Bonnie he sounded weirdly empty and not even his choice of words could fool her.

"Yeah, I already figured that out." Bonnie said with a smile to cheer him up a bit.

"What was that about?" Jo turned to her brother and pointed to the stop where he had been standing with his father just moments ago.

"Ah, you know the same old drama. Trying to make me understand how important it is to everyone that I participate on these charades of a work meeting, blablabla." Kai lowered his head and shook it slightly. Jo patted his left arm as a response and gave him a faint smile. Now that Bonnie thought about it, Jo also looked like she could use a little sleep. What was going on with them?

Just when Bonnie wanted to ask her, Briana came running to the three of them with joy on her face. Bonnie saw that she had Caroline and Elena in tow and the three were heading their direction. Okay, so Bonnie had to wait to catch up the with Parker twins at a later point.

"So this lovely young lady just informed us that there is not going to be any food served today." Elena called out when they nearly reached them.

"But she also said that there was a party going on in the foyer so we thought we'd join." Caroline added and smiled her most perfect smile. She turned to Jo and reached out her hand. "Hi, I'm Caroline and this is Elena, Bonnie's friends from Virginia."

Caroline's friendliness and openness made Jo snicker and she took Care's hand and shook it. "Hi, I'm Jo." She shook Elena's hand as well and looked weirdly between Kai and the girls when they waved at each other. "You already know each other?" she asked.

"We met on Friday." Caroline claimed.

"I am surprised you remember that. You were already beyond saving at that point." Kai chuckled.

"Please, that little alcohol doesn't kill my memory." Caroline made a move with her hands to indicate that she wasn't serious and they all had to laugh.

"So what's the plan now, Bonnie? I guess we're not going to get anything to eat here today." Elena asked.

"I guess not. Wanna go somewhere else?" Bonnie turned to Caroline and Elena to get some answers.

"Hell yes! I don't even care where we're going I just need something to eat… like ASAP." Caroline said with intensity and Elena nodded in agreement.

"Alright, then I guess we're just gonna hit the first restaurant we come across." Bonnie suggested.

"Are you guys joining us?" Elena asked Jo and Kai.

"Oh, I don't know. It's your last day together and we have to take care of Briana right now, so." Jo said but Elena and Caroline both instantly assured Jo that neither their nor Briana's presence was going to spoil the day. Briana was already thrilled to bits and Jo turned to Kai. He only shrugged and Elena solemnly declared this settled.

The group started moving when Caroline declared that she was going to write the worst comment into the guestbook lying on the desk and Elena said that she'd help her. Bonnie, Jo and Kai already headed to the parking lot and Bonnie was going to wait for her friends there.

When Jo had reached her car Briana found the playground of the restaurant more interesting than getting into the car and ran towards the big swing.

"I'll better go after her, don't want her to break anything." Jo said and quickly followed her little sister to the playground and so Bonnie was alone with Kai. She thought if she didn't want this whole day to turn awkward she needed to talk to him now. She took all her courage and looked Kai directly in the eyes.

"Hey, ehm, I think we should talk about what happened the other night." Bonnie reluctantly got out.

Kai tilted his head slightly and looked as if he didn't know what she was talking about. Bonnie would have taken his behavior as a tease, his usual way of making fun of her, but the current state he was in made her wonder if he really didn't understand.

Bonnie's eyes narrowed and the intense look on her face made him realize what she was talking about. "Ooooh, you mean the kiss." Kai let out in a volume so loud Bonnie needed to look around to make sure Elena and Caroline wouldn't be approaching already.

"Can you turn it down a little?" Bonnie hissed.

"Relax, Bonnie. There is no one here." Kai laughed a tired laugh.

Bonnie only looked at him for a moment trying to figure out what was wrong with him but then she decided to focus on the other task at hand first. "So do you have anything to say to that matter?" Bonnie asked him.

Kai waited with his answer, looking like he had to think about it first. "No, I guess not."

Bonnie blinked. Suddenly her dream for the other night came back to her mind.

" _What? You have something to say on that matter?" Bonnie spit out._

" _Nope!"_

It was weird how accurate her dream had been to this point. But instead of becoming angry at him she only looked at him with disbelief.

"What?" he asked.

"That's all? The case is closed for you?"

"Pretty much. I mean if you still have something to say about it please feel free to do so. I am very interested to hear it. But maybe you feel the same as me about it, that we were both drunk like hell, you were in an emotional state and it just happened. For me it doesn't change anything. We're still friends and if it doesn't change anything for you than… we're cool, right?"

Bonnie nodded. He had said what she had hoped he would. That nothing was different between them. "Okay, then we leave it behind us." Bonnie stated and turned to see if Care and Elena were already on their way. But she realized she had to clarify one more thing so she turned back to Kai.

"One more thing, I mean this might sound crazy but, you can't tell anyone about it."

"What do think of me, he? That I walk around bragging about it in the streets? Please Bonnie. You should know me better."

"I do know you better, that's why I am mentioning it." Bonnie joked but when Kai didn't smile she quickly added. "I am sorry for bringing this up like this but I just can't help it sometimes." She wanted to turn away from him but he wouldn't let her.

He placed an arm around her shoulders and pressed her into his side. "Oh, BonBon that's the beauty of you, you care about everyone and everything."

Bonnie placed her head onto Kai's shoulder and smiled. She was so relieved and couldn't understand why she had been so worried about this conversation before. She was sure that it wasn't going to be weird between the two of them just from the last 2 minutes of conversation they had.

They stood like this for a while longer and Bonnie enjoyed the warmth flowing through her. But she drew away from him as she saw the same expression on his face as earlier and it reminded her that something was going on with him.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked in a sweet and concerned voice.

Kai withstood Bonnie's eye contact for a while, scanning her face, pondering whether to confide in her or to sob her off with some vague statement. She expected the latter but was surprised when he finally answered her. "Not really, but there is nothing to be done about it." He paused and looked to the ground. "I'm just tired, Bonnie." The last part sounded like a plea for help, like he was really dealing with something big, something that actually bothered him.

Bonnie felt the need to get more information about Kai's situation and she felt that they were at a place where he might actually give them to her. But right this moment she saw that Jo and Briana were heading back to them and Bonnie could also hear Caroline's clear laughter from afar. Right now was not the time to get into this, Kai would not open up to her with all these people present.

"Alright guys, we just gave them the worst review of all times but I think this was appropriate." Caroline said when reaching the group. Jo had started to buckle up Briana in the backseat of her car.  
"Where are we going actually? So we can find each other again?" she asked the group while closing the back door.

Elena and Caroline turned to look at the three locals for suggestions. Bonnie was just as clueless as them, this part of the town wasn't really her perimeter, it was too expensive and fancy for, but Jo seemed like she had an idea.

"Do you know this new little café near Washington Park? It's not too far from here and it is supposed to be really nice. I haven't been there yet but I always wanted to."

"Sounds really good." Caroline let out, making sure she didn't bother where they were going but that they were going.

"Alright, see you there." Bonnie said and turned around to head to her car parked a few lines behind Jo's, but not before giving Kai a faint but warm smile that he briefly returned.

Elena and Caroline in tow the girls got into her mom's car.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"How in the world am I supposed to fit all these clothes into my bag?" Caroline cried out loud.

Elena and Bonnie gave each other a look. "Well, you could have thought about that yesterday." Bonnie teased.

"If I would have decided what to take with me and what to leave behind we would still be in there and you guys would still be waiting for me." Caroline laughed and the other two girls joined her.

"You can always try and put some of your stuff in my bag." Elena suggested but with a quick look onto Elena's pile of clothing Bonnie knew that there wouldn't be too much room in her bag either. Caroline would have to find another way or leave some of the clothes behind for Bonnie to bring back to Mystic Falls.

They had been home for an hour now and her friends had tried, and until this point, failed to pack their bags. The three of them had said goodbye to Jo, Kai and Briana after they shared the best Sunday brunch Bonnie ever had, when Briana started to get on everybody's (or at least her siblings') nerves by demanding to go home every two minutes, driving Jo to the point of banging her head onto the table and Kai turning to her and angrily demanding her to be quiet before he picked her up without any warning ready to leave the restaurant. But of course that was not what Briana wanted. She whined and wind in Kai's arm demanding to hug Bonnie goodbye.

When Bonnie opened her arms to embrace her, Kai lowered her to Bonnie's lap and Briana hugged her tight. When she was done she waved goodbye to Elena and Caroline, who endured her interrogation earlier and waved back at her with a smile. After that Briana raised her arms to indicate she wanted to get picked up again. Kai sighed heavily but before Briana was going to make another scene he picked her off Bonnie's lap.

"You're getting too heavy for this." Kai disclosed her but Briana only huddled up to his shoulder and closed her eyes, a smile on her face. That smile spread to Bonnie when she saw the picture of the siblings standing like this. Kai leaned down again to give Bonnie a quick kiss on the cheek to say goodbye because he couldn't hug her right now.

Jo came around and gave all three girls a hug and then the Parker's left for the car.

They only stayed another few minutes before they left the place too, because they had lost so much time in the other restaurant Elena and Caroline had to go back to Bonnie's place to pack their stuff.

And now Bonnie was watching her friends pack their entire luggage with a sad expression her face.

"Hello, earth to Bonnie!" Elena waved a hand in front of Bonnie's face and she only now realized she had been drifting into her thoughts.

"Sorry, I was just in thought." Bonnie explained herself.

"Has to be a brutal thought given your expression." Caroline said while folding a shirt and putting it in her bag.

"I was just thinking about you guys leaving." Bonnie said sadly and both Elena's and Caroline's expression turn darker.

"And we don't want to leave you behind." Elena stated.

"Yeah, we'd rather pack you in our bags and take you with us." Caroline added.

"Thanks guys but I'd prefer a seat next to you in the plane." Bonnie chuckled trying to lighten the mood.

"I guess we could manage that too." Elena joked but they all knew that it would stay a fantasy.

"But I am already seeing you guys in a few weeks, right?" Bonnie asked.

"Hell yeah! I would never ever miss the legendary birthday parties of one Sheila Bennet." Caroline said and Elena nodded heavily in agreement.

"Good, as much as I love my Grams I think I wouldn't be able to get through an evening with all her old friends without you guys present."

"And luckily you won't have to." The girls smiled at one another.

Too quickly for Bonnie's liking their bags were packed and they were sitting at the kitchen table with a huge box of ice cream in front of them. It was nearly time for Bonnie to drive them back to the airport, but they didn't want to cut their goodbye ritual. They had lost too much time today but that wouldn't suffer under their time loss.

When there was no more ice cream left to stall the inadvisable Caroline was the first to rise from her seat, opening the long and probably wet goodbye hugging ceremony. Caroline stood and opened up her arms to embrace her two friends. Reluctantly Bonnie followed her example and Elena did so too. So there they stood, hugging each other tight and making no sound.

They stood like that until Abby came walking in the kitchen to check on them. When she saw the three girls Bonnie witnessed something cross over her mother's face that she only rarely got to see: regret. Abby had always been confident with her choice of moving away from Mystic Falls and taking Bonnie along and Bonnie had stopped blaming her for it after the first few month of settling in, but when Abby Bennett saw her daughter with her childhood friends Bonnie could make out that something in her mother's head regretted separating the three of them, even though they had done a fabulous job of staying in touch, also due to the fact that their parents gave them enough money to occasionally see each other, there was always something getting lost over the distance.

Abby offered to drive the three to the airport. Officially because she wanted to spent a little time with her three daughters but Bonnie knew that her mom just wasn't comfortable letting Bonnie drive when she had been crying.

And so they packed Caroline's and Elena's bags into the car and the three of them all settled down in the back of the car. Abby started the engine and Bonnie felt like her 10 year old self again, leaving Mystic Falls and her best friends for Portland only that it was now the other way around.

Arriving at the airport everything went extremely fast. They had extended their time together as much as possible so when they arrived at the airport, Elena and Caroline had to hurry to get to their gate. Only a minute of hugging, crying and swearing to skype when they got home safe remained and then Bonnie was alone again. She watched her best friends disappear in the crowd and stood there a few more moments when she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned to see her mother looking at her with warmth in her eyes.

"Come on, sweety. I think we should go if we want to be home before dinner is ready."

Bonnie looked at the huge clock in the waiting hall of the airport and then looked at her mother. "It is only 4:30 and we only have a 20 minutes drive back home."

"Yes, but I guess you would like to stop for some ice cream refill, don't you?"

 **Author's note: I am so so so sorry that I haven't updated in a while but I had been super busy plus I was dealing with a little illness so I couldn't focus on writing as much as I wanted to. I am not as happy with this chapter as I thought I would be but I still put it out there for you to read. I hope the things that will come up will be more interesting. Still, thanks for sticking around. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	20. Chapter Twenty: One Day

_Note: Extra long chapter as an apology for all the waiting lately and also for the celebration of the twentieth chapter. Enjoy._

Chapter Twenty: One Day

Looking outside Bonnie saw the early spring sun brighten up the school yard. Any other day she would wear the brightest of smiles witnessing the start of the warm season. Any other day she would enjoy this day, her favorite kind of day of the year, but right now the feeling in her gut was overwhelming that happiness.

She was sitting in Mr. Bright's office once more. After she had her official evaluation meeting with Ms. Gibbens about Kai's behavior during the history assignment, Mr. Bright came up to her to ask, or demand, another meeting with her to talk about her extracurricular activity of spying on her friend.

So now she was sitting in his office, waiting for him so show up. Mrs. Percyville had ushered her inside and told her it would only be another few minutes and that Mr. Bright would hurry so that she wouldn't miss her first class but it had already been 10 minutes. 10 minutes that gave Bonnie time to think about this whole deal between her and her headmaster. It had not been the first that doubts about this whole agenda crossed her mind but in last couple of weeks it had only grown stronger and stronger.

Of course she had changed the deal so she only had to tell what she thought was important and she could just shut up about everything and fool her headmaster into believing she was still on board. But that wasn't Bonnie's style and it would neither help Mr. Bright nor her relationship with Kai. She needed to clarify her doubts and get out of this stupid deal.

"I am so sorry, Bonnie. Board members are sometimes so stressful." Bonnie twitched a little by Mr. Bright's sudden arrival. He had opened the door in one swing and crossed the distance to the desk in no time, placing himself behind it.

Bonnie only smiled an half convincing smile but stayed quiet. She wanted to let him do all the talking.

"How are you doing, Bonnie?" was his first question.

Bonnie hesitated. She was thinking about telling him right away that she wasn't going to do these little sit-ins any longer but thought that it might come across as unfriendly, so she stuck to a version of the truth. "The sun is coming back, so I already feel better."

Mr. Bright smiled over her mention of the good weather and took a quick peek out his window.  
"You are right about that." He stated with a smile and when he looked back at her his eyes had the usual serious glance in them and Bonnie knew they were going straight to business.

"So, I got the update from Ms. Gibbens about your report on the teamwork with Kai." He paused briefly. "I am very content with it. I can see that I have chosen just the right person to do this. Good job Bonnie."

Bonnie nodded, still not willing to say anything.

"Is there anything you want to add to said evaluation? Something you weren't comfortable sharing with Ms. Gibbens?" Bright asked and watched her expression closely.

"No, I said all that I wanted to." Bonnie answered shortly. She was getting more nervous by the second. She needed to address her concern.

"Good." Bright nodded and opened up a folder Bonnie didn't realize was lying on his desk before. He put in a copy of what Bonnie assumed was the protocol of Bonnie's report session with Ms. Gibbens and put it in the folder, giving Bonnie the opportunity to peek at the title put on it. It was Kai's student record.

"And is there any other news you want to share with me this time? Anything significant?" Bright looked back at Bonnie and she had to swallow. This was her cue.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something." Bonnie paused and Mr. Bright looked at her with anticipation and a hint of fear, imagining 100 different things Kai might have done. "I… We have talked about the fact that I don't feel as comfortable doing this as I thought I would be and I… I think that I can't keep reporting back to you about Kai."

There, it was out in the open. Bonnie looked into her principle's face and watched his reaction closely. His face had changed from anticipation to unreadable neutrality. After a long moment of only looking at each other Mr. Bright finally spoke again.

"I have already heard that the two of you had become quite close, spending quite some time together, and I would be lying if I didn't expect this to happen." He sighted. "But I was hoping that you would sustain a little bit longer." Bonnie saw disappointment crossing his face briefly.

"You told me that if I wanted out I would get out." Bonnie reminded him.

"Yes, yes. I did say that and I will not force you to continue this arrangement. I just want to make you see what we already achieved in such a short time. Kai's teachers have been reporting an increase of his attendances and he only rarely got send to my office the past few weeks and if I didn't have you I would only assume that it was some kind of phase of his or that he was plotting something but now I know about your good influence and I can see that you are having an important influence on him."

"I understand that but I don't think that I am going to lose that influence over him. On the contrary. We are friends and I think I have a connection to him that not a lot of people have. I can get him to open up and you are still going to profit from that, but… I just can't keep spying on him. That's not what friends do. That's not what I want this friendship to be like."

Bright nodded and then finally managed a smile. "You are right Bonnie. I'll set you free of that task."

"Really?" Suddenly Bonnie felt way better.

"Yes, I told you I won't force you into this the first time we talked about it and I am keeping my word. I just always thought that you would back out from this because of different reasons."

"What kind of reasons?" Bonnie wanted to know.

"Well, because you wouldn't handle being around him any longer. Matters of annoyance, not matters of the heart." Mr. Bright said honestly and Bonnie had to fight hart to keep up her poker face. She didn't know if he was implying what she thought he was implying but she wasn't going to give him any other indication that his thoughts were true.

"Thank you anyways." Bright got up from his chair and reached out to shake Bonnie's hand. She took the offered hand and was glad that she was released. When Bonnie reached the door Bright once again spoke to her.

"One last advise, don't get sucked into him too much. I know you don't agree with me but I still think that Malachai Parker is unpredictable and manipulative. I would hate to see you get hurt. Keep safe, Bonnie."

"No need to worry, Mr. Bright. I know what I am doing." Bonnie answered and surprisingly she actually meant what she said. Bonnie stepped out of the office and closed the door behind her. Sighing deep and feeling the relief take over. She walked around the corner to Mrs. Percyville's desk to get to her class when she abruptly stopped.

With eyes shortly widened she thought about going back around the corner to hide from the person she didn't expect to see, Kai. He was leaning onto Mrs. Percyville's desk, talking to her with the everybody's-darling smile of his and Mrs. Percyville laughed. He hadn't seen her yet so she could turn around and hide, she wasn't too keen on explaining why she was in Bright's office. But it would make no difference, there was no way to go. Kai would probably see her the moment he would go to Mr. Bright's office, because Bonnie assumed he was here for that.

"Ah, look she is already done." Mrs. Percyville pointed into Bonnie's direction and Kai's head turned to find her, a bright smile appearing on his face.

"Ah, look what the cat dragged in." He joked and Bonnie closed the distance to him until she stopped in front of him. She smiled because she was genially glad to see him and greeted him by hugging him. After that she hit him for the comment he had made. Kai only laughed about that.

"I'll go tell him you're here, sweetheart." Mrs. Percyville stated and smiled at them both.

"Thank you, Mrs. Percyville." Kai called after her and then returned his attention to Bonnie. "So, missy. What did you do to get into so much trouble you had to see the principle? I thought that punishment was reserved for the worst of the worst." He tilted his head a little, leaning onto the desk and his body was now facing her completely.

"I did nothing. Contra your belief there are different reasons for seeing the principle but as punishment. I had an appointment with him to discuss some extra… assignment I signed up for but stepped back from." Bonnie was glad she came up with a vague answer like that. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the complete truth either. To her relief Kai didn't defer deeper into it. He only looked at her with raised eyebrows and a smug smile on his face.

He looked way better than when she last saw him. He didn't look so tiered and seemed to be back to his usual cocky self. Which made her wonder what had made him so upset the other day because apparently he wasn't one to let himself drown in sorrow easily.

She wanted to ask but this wasn't the right place for it because Mrs. Percyville was already coming back and this conversation was really nothing for her ears to hear.

"Alright, he will see you in a bit. You can sit down if you'd like." Mrs. Percyville told Kai while sitting back down.

"So what did y _ou_ do for getting called to the principle before the school day had even begun?" Bonnie teased Kai, who was still leaning onto the desk.

"Believe it or not but I am here willingly." Kai stated and Bonnie's eyebrows rose to the top of her forehead.

Kai continued to explain because of the startled reaction from Bonnie. "Yes, I know it is kind of unbelievable but I have some questions about my new schedule."

Bonnie had to hide the realization in her face. Of course, she had completely forgotten about the changes Mr. Bright had made to Kai's schedule to give the two of them more classes together. She hadn't thought about it anymore and actually thought that it might not happen now that she had withdrawn from the arrangement. But apparently the changes were irreversible. The fact that it had made her feel annoyed in the past that she would see Kai more often in class, now made her feel exited.

"You were affected by the changes to the schedule?" Bonnie asked innocently.

"Yeah, like crazy. I never had that before. I mean I heard that sometimes students can get a few new classes and courses and that there is always much drama about it, but I never had a part in that." Kai said, clearly sensing that something was conspicuous.

"Let me see."

Kai pulled out a paper, a copy of his new schedule. All students have been send a schedule like this and it was true normally there weren't many changes, a room change here and there, and if you were really screwed you had two courses changed. With a look on Kai's new schedule Bonnie saw that mostly 50% of his classes were the same as hers and taking that she only shared one class with him up until today she knew there had been a howl lot of changes made to his schedule.

"Wow, that IS a lot of change." Bonnie commented.

"How would you know? You didn't know my schedule."

"Well, let me tell you how I know: Second Lesson with Ms. Gibbens, well that stayed the same, after that math with Collins, ergh that will be horrible because the dude just can't teach and look there is biology with Petrov, there you really have to pay attention because if you're distracted for just a second you might have missed the way his mouth has moved and that you can't miss because it is the only way to ensure you understood him correctly. Should I go on?" She had been leaning over the sheet of paper and pointed at the different classes she would now share with him.

Mrs. Percyville got up from behind her desk and went into the room next to them and that action made Bonnie look up to him, seeing him grinning down at her. "So we share all these classes now?"

"Seems like it." Bonnie smiles but Kai scoffs.  
"What? You don't want to hang out with me in school? Is that too embarrassing for you? To hang out with a nerdy kid like me? Or are you just afraid that you won't be the smartest kid in the room anymore?" Bonnie teased him but was really interested in his answer as well.

"A: I couldn't care less about what people think of my friends so NO to that first accusation. And B: I am actually looking forward to that challenge. But I have to admit I did not see this coming." Kai looked at her like he was expecting her to understand his cryptic statement. When the realization didn't cross her face he elaborated further. "Don't you see the pattern? What they were trying to do? They put me into all of your classes on purpose because they think that you and me working together is going to make me bend down to their rules. They were happy about this whole experiment they pulled off with us so now they are trying to spread that over every aspect of my school day."

Bonnie kept up her pokerface. He was 100% right about the intention behind giving him a new schedule but Bonnie had to act like this was news to her. "Hm, sounds reasonable. Maybe they actually did that." She commented.

"Not maybe, for sure. It is kind of funny how they are still trying to form me into this flagship-student but I won't play along for that." Kai looked down at his schedule with a dark gleam.

"What does that mean?"

"That, and I am sorry if I have to disappoint you on this matter, I don't care if there is a Bonnie Bennett in my class or not, I'll still do whatever the hell I want. But I have to admit, they got creative. Thought after all these years they would give up at some point." He looked to her and his expression was gleeful again.

Bonnie stared into the distance with nothing to really focus on. This would be something to report back to Mr. Bright she thought to herself. That his plan would utterly fail. No matter if she quit or not, the plan of getting him in check through her was doomed from the start.

"Hello, earth to Bonnie!" Kai waved a hand in front of her face and he slowly came back into focus.  
"Where have you drifted off to so suddenly? I'm sorry if what I said hurt you, I was just kidding."

"What? No, that didn't hurt me. It just made me realize that you are probably a lost cause." She grinned at him and he grinned back, shaking his head.

"Mr. Parker, to what do I owe this pleasure? I think this is the first time ever that you are willingly wanting to talk to me." Mr. Brights voice cut through Bonnie's thoughts and they both turned to their principle who was standing in the hallway, about to lead Kai into his office.

"There is a first time for everything, Mr. Bright." Kai said with his usual mocking tone and once again Bonnie wondered if he was really feeling better.

"Then come in, take a seat. I'll be right there with you." Bright walked by them and when he passed her he nodded in Bonnie's direction and smiled at her. She could only give him an unbelievable small smile back and then he had disappeared into the same room his secretary had gone to a few minutes ago.

Bonnie turned to Kai. He was pushing himself off the desk, ready to get into Bright's office.

"So, I guess we'll see each other in class then." Bonnie said.

"Well, we'll see." Kai shrugged.

"Kai, you can't skip class on the first day, that kind of shines a bad light on you." Bonnie mock-judged him.

"Oh, come on all the teachers in this god forsaken school know about me and the way I work things around here so no one would be surprised. Plus, it is kind of the best excuse to stay away when you can say that you didn't understand your new schedule and had to go talk to the headmaster about it first." He winked at her and she had to push back a laugh.

"Alright, superman. Guess it'll be a surprise then." Bonnie prepared herself to leave and get to her class but not before getting on her toes and lightly kissing his cheek to say goodbye, like he did on Sunday in the restaurant. To her surprise he didn't make any dumb comment about the act and just silently accepted it. To not ruin anything by saying something she would regret later, she moved to the door and got to her class.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To her surprise Kai had actually showed up to class that day. It was probably one of the first times since middle school where he attended all of his classes. But a week later his appearances had already lacked, nothing that Bonnie didn't suspect.

Bonnie had imagined all of Kai's old teachers to be partying in the teacher's lounge for getting rid of him for at least this school year while Kai had managed to piss off everyone of his new teachers within the first week. He just had a talent.

So, now she was sitting in the history class room, not really waiting for him to show up, because he hadn't shown his face in two days. She had texted him this morning to check if he was doing alright but he never answered her. That was suspicious.

So she felt a huge relief as he stood in the doorframe of the classroom that morning. She started to smile and wanted to point at the free table beside her when he called for her to come follow him outside the room.

Bonnie frowned at his demand, but stood up from her seat. All the other students were getting into the room and Bonnie left all her stuff at the table, somewhat nervous about what Kai could want from her.

She found him leaning against the lockers directly opposite the door and when he spotted her his face lit up. She took a few steps towards him and he pushed himself off the lockers and grabbed her hand before she could even say something.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked, concerned.

Kai was already dragging her into the direction of the stairs and he replied. "Come on, let's get out of here."

It took Bonnie a while to get out of his grip but she finally managed after a few feet. "Kai, wait. Where are to taking me?"

Kai stopped a few feet away from her as he realized Bonnie's hand was slipping out of his hold and turned around, face teasing. "That's a secret, you'll see."

Bonnie raised her eyebrows. "We have class! We can't just roam around the school like we want to."

"Who said anything about roaming around the school?" Kai's grin became wider and wider by the second.

Bonnie looked startled. "What? You… you want to leave here?"

Kai tilted his head and watched her like his plans were so obvious. He took a step towards her so she was within his reach but still left some space between the two of them. When he stayed silent Bonnie continued to voice her concern.

"We can't just leave. I mean, I can't. What do you even want to do? I mean, why do I need to come with you?"

He looked straight in her face, a serious expression in his eyes. "Because you promised me!"

Bonnie blinked a few times, not understanding what he was talking about and then it hit her. "Oh, no!" She turned her face to the side and remembered the promise he was talking about. When they had done the history assignment together she had granted him one day, one day where he could decide what to do the entire time. She had been naïve to think that he would choose a better day for this, or maybe even forget about it.

"Kai, can't we do this another day? This is really not the best time."

"Why? Are you busy taking notes about themes that don't interest you at all? Or is it about ditching class? Come on, Bon it is not like you never did that before."

He was right, she had ditched school before, with him. But that was just the last few hours and it wasn't a big deal, she could have even come up with the best excuse to her mother, but an entire school day? She looked from side to side, not wanting to look into Kai's wide grin. He knew he had power over her in that moment and she hated it. He stepped even closer to her and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You promised."

She looked up as he stepped a few inches away from her, stretching out his hand for her to take it and accept his offer. Bonnie was conflicted. She didn't have any wish to go to school this morning, but ditching school wasn't something that came naturally to her. And then there was this tempting offer from Kai. A few more seconds of inner conflict and Bonnie had made a decision. She took his hand before she could change her mind again. "I have to get all my stuff first." She said and saw his sheepish grin getting darker.

"Go, I'll wait right here." He triumphantly said.

Bonnie turned around and went back into the room. She tried to not get too much attention from her classmates while packing her bag. When she got everything she rushed back into the hallway where still a lot of other students passed by trying to get to their class, quickly grabbed Kai's hand and they made their way down the stairs to the exit.

Bonnie started walking faster and faster, because somehow she though no one would see her leaving then. And she started praying that Ms. Gibbens wouldn't run into them and ushering them back to class. Kai next to her seemed to find this whole thing very amusing and his posture seemed way to calm, telling her that he had done this too often to feel any kind of excitement.

They reached the door and Bonnie let herself get guided to Kai's car. She got in the passenger seat and Kai started the engine.

"So, tell me: Where are we going?"

. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"We can't do that!" Bonnie voiced her concern, looking around for another living being to see what they were doing.

The last warm sunbeams were touching Kai's face and lightening his blue eyes as he turned around to her. "Why not?"

"Because this is breaking and entering, Kai. You said you wouldn't get me into trouble."

"You are only getting into trouble if we're getting caught and I don't plan for this to happen. Plus, it is not breaking and entering if the doors are wide open." Bonnie followed his gaze and realized that one door of their school was wide open and realized that Kai wanted to basically walk into the school after hours and climb all the way to the top, imagining not to be caught by anyone when there were clearly still people inside.

"Are you backing out?" Kai asked.

The whole day had been a blast. She had been nervous at the start, because he had refused to tell her where they were going. Their first stop was the mall. Kai explained that Bonnie couldn't leave the school without at least once ditching school to go to the mall. Bonnie relaxed more and more the further they had gotten into it and the two had bought some ice cream, trying on some ridiculous clothes in a second-hand shop and annoyed the fish in the big aquarium in the middle of the mall.

When they got out, the sun had begun to shine brightly. For the end of March it was really nice outside now. The first flowers were starting to bloom and the sunlight drew a lot of people out of their homes. Their next step was a pizza place where Bonnie ordered a huge pizza with salami, bacon and corn covered over and over in cheese. Kai had laughed at her saying she would never finish this but she did and that gave Bonnie the satisfaction to finally seeing Kai Parker speechless.

She had fallen into a food-coma after that and had only barley made it back to the car. The next stop surprised Bonnie entirely. Kai had driven them to a lake, somewhere outside of Portland. There were trees everywhere and they got out and walked for more than a mile until Kai finally pointed to a bench near the water. There were bushes and ferns everywhere, making it hard to spot the place. When Kai sad down on the bench Bonnie followed him, admiring the view. And then Kai surprised her by telling her that this was his favorite place in the world. He used to come here with his mom and Jo. Someday his mom and Jo stopped wanting to go but he kept coming and enjoying the silence.

Bonnie had sat down next to him and placed her head on his shoulder. It was such a beautiful place and there were a tone of emotions going threw her right now because of the trust he had shown to tell her something so personal. At that point the whole skipping school thing was only in the back of Bonnie's head.

Before the sun started to set the two of them made the long walk back to Kai's car and he told her that there was one other thing they needed to do today.

So now they were hiding on the corner of the school building, watching the entrance. For some weird reason Kai insisted on going back to the school and climb all the way to the top. Bonnie's gut finally awoke again to tell her that this might not be a good idea.

Kai was waiting for her to answer him with one eyebrow raised. He was clearly challenging her.

Bonnie sight. "Whatever, let's just do it." For some reason she didn't care about the repercussions of their actions, she kind of wanted to see what was so special about this place that Kai wanted to go there.

"Okay, that's how we're going to do it. We're going to sneak up to the doors, there is a little switch in them that keeps them from closing and we're going to press it on one of the doors so we are not stuck here for the rest of the night. Once we are in, we'll run to the left and take the first stair up to the first floor. Don't stop running before you reach the first floor, understood?"

Bonnie nodded. "But why?" she asked him.

"Because there is a board meeting being held in the conference room and we don't want to get busted by them, do we?" Kai explained.

Realizing that in this moment Kai's father was sitting inside this building made Bonnie shiver, but now she finally got where he had the information about the open doors from. Bonnie shook herself for a moment and then nodded in Kai's direction. "Let's do this."

Kai turned around and duck beneath the windows. Bonnie followed his example and took his hand so she had something to hold onto. He squeezed her hand lightly and that gave Bonnie the necessary bravery to really do this. On the count of three they started sneaking to the entrance of the school.

When they reached them, Bonnie looked around only to find no one seeing the two getting inside the school. Kai pressed on something inside one of the doors and then waved for her to follow him inside.

Once they made it in, Bonnie followed Kai's plan and started running. When she reached the stair she was already out of breath because of the agitation, but she pushed herself not to stop running until she finally reached the first floor. She ran just a few steps further into the corridor and stabilized herself on the nearest locker, catching her breath.

She looked around to find Kai doing the same, only that he had his hands pressed to his knees, looking down on the floor. When he looked up to her, he had a wide grin forming on it and it was contagious. Bonnie was full of adrenalin, the excitement giving her a kick she didn't expect to have from this. Her feelings were on a rollercoaster right now and all she knew was that she was feeling good. She could only barely hold back her laughter but Kai pressed his index finger to his lips telling her to stay silent.

When they were both breathing slower Kai bobbed up and Bonnie pushed herself off the lockers. With a nod of his head Kai indicated the direction they had to take now and lead the way to the second floor. From there he led Bonnie to a door in the most far away corner of the school. Bonnie had never been there and watched Kai open a door, revealing a ladder.

"After you!" he motioned for Bonnie to climb up the ladder and she did. When she reached the end she had to push away a metal hatch and then she took the last steps onto the roof of her school.

She stood up and turned around to wait for Kai to join her on the roof. When he reached the top he closed the hatch again and then turned her around. "Welcome to the best place in this hell hole."

Bonnie took in a sharp breath. The view was astonishing; she had no idea that you could have such an amazing view form up the roof. She took a few steps closer to the edge and looked around. She could see so far, it seemed like the entirety of Portland dragged out in front of them. In the far she could see the skyscrapers lining up and right in front of her she saw the parking lot of the school. Everything was touched in the warm orange tone of the setting sun and was framed by trees and parks.

Kai stepped close behind her, lifted his arm and pointed to a place to Bonnie's right. "Right over there, between the green water tower and the white house, that's where you live."

Bonnie followed his outstretched arm to the place he was pointing at. She couldn't make out anything familiar form so far away but she believed that his must be the general direction to her home.

Suddenly the warmth of Kai's body in her back was gone. Bonnie turned around and watched him walk to the left. Her eyes followed his path and spotted something lying on the floor a few feet away. Her eyes widened as she realized that there was a whole chill out zone build up on the roof. She started running after Kai.

"Holy shit, I didn't know this was up here."

Bonnie saw a few camping chairs leaned onto a chimney, there were tables made out of pallets and a self-made carport for support from the rain and wind. Here and there Bonnie could spot a few plants in flower pots but they still looked a little sick due to the winter they had spent outside and a lot of candles, lanterns and lamps were placed around the place and on the tables. It looked more than cozy.

"That's because it isn't supposed to be up here." Kai explained. "Everyone thinks that the door to the roof is locked but in junior year we stole the keys from the genitor and opened it. No one ever checks if it is still closed because no one would think that anyone would get up here. But we did and started building this."

"You did all of that on your own?" Bonnie was impressed.

"Yeah, every now and then someone would get their hands on something useful and we would get it up here. We have spent so many summer nights up here."

"Wow, this is amazing." Bonnie walked closer to the tabled to inspect her surroundings closely when her gaze fell on something huge covering the ground. "Is this…. the soft floor mat from the gym that got missing a few years ago?" She turned around only to see Kai's smug grin on his face, she didn't need an answer to that question.

"Wow, I take it this was not the first time you broke into the school after hours."

"Nope! And let me tell you getting this thing up here was not easy." Kai walked up to the mat and let himself fall on it. He was now lying on his back watching the darkening sky. Bonnie went to place herself next to him. She lay down on her belly, stretching out on the matt that was still warm from lying all day in the sun.

"How many people know about this?" Bonnie turned her head to face Kai.

"Not many. Walter, Brian and I did most of the work and we sometimes took a few people with us when we spend time here, but only a selective few who we could trust to keep their mouths shut. If they knew what we are doing up here we would get in so much trouble." He laughed.

On Bonnie's face a smile was building up. He trusted her so much that he would not only show her one sanctuary but two. Kai sat back up and Bonnie did the same, watching the sunset from where they were sitting. A comfortable silence spread between the two and after a while Bonnie placed her head onto Kai's shoulder.

"Thank you."She whispered after a while.

"For what?"

"For this day. I know I had my doubts about it but I had a blast today and I want to thank you for making that possible."

"Even though you had to break some rules today?"

"Yes, despite that I had a lot of fun. And that showed me that I should start seeing everything a little bit more… smoothly."

Kai laughed at her statement and it sounded genuine. Not for the first time Bonnie realized how much she loved that sound. She had learned another thing today and she felt like she needed to tell him but she wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it.

"Kai?"

"Hmm."

"Do you have any idea how much you have grown on me in the last couple weeks?"

Kai turned his head in her direction and frowned, not understanding where she was going with this, but he said nothing and so Bonnie took all her courage and continued. "I mean, I kind of hated you in the beginning. No, not hate, that is too strong but I had a negative feeling about you." Bonnie made a pause that seemed like she was done with her little speech.

"Thank you… I guess." Kai got out, obviously confused.

"No, you don't get it." Bonnie flipped around to let her body face Kai completely. "I didn't know you and now I do. Now, I enjoy being with you. I take all your teases and side-punches. Hell, I even enjoy having a discussion with you. You freak me out most of the day but at the end of the day I just want to give you a bear hug and laugh about it. I never build such a close relationship with anyone before, not even Caroline. And you know why that is?"

Kai looked at her with something that Bonnie would describe as doubt and a little fear. He didn't say anything, just looked her in the eyes, waiting for her to continue.

"Because you, Kai Parker, against all my better judgment, are my best friend."

The fear disappeared out of Kai's eyes and was replaced with various different emotions that all crossed through them in a blink of a second before they finally stuck with one: glee. His expression was topped off with a smile so genuine and a little playful. Bonnie herself was smiling from ear to ear. She was abruptly pulled into his arms but it wasn't an emotional hug but more of a power struggle. He was trying to wrestle her down onto the matt and she was fighting back with everything she had. They were both laughing and after a while Kai reduced his attacks and let his arm rest around her shoulder.

"You know you're crazy, right Bennett?" he said a little out of breath.

"Sure, I have to be if I am friends with you!" She poked him in the rips and he laughed a little. She knew that he had accepted their label of being best friends. She wouldn't get a verbal agreement form him, she had known that before she even started her little speech but she could read his agreement in his actions. She was relieved and happy. This was way easier than she had thought.

In the distance she could hear a phone ringing. At first she thought it was hers but when Kai wiggled his way out of their weird hug, she realized it was his. He got it out of his pocket, looking down on the screen. With a short glance Bonnie could see Jo's name flash on it and she heard him moan. He declined the call and through the phone to his site, letting himself fall back onto his back in the process. His hands were covering his eyes.

The mood had suddenly changed from playful and light to something more serious, heavier.

"What did Jo do so you would not take her call?" Bonnie asked to break though the silence.

He lifted his hands down to his sides and watched her from where he lay. "Nothing, I just know exactly what she would say. She wants me to come home but I don't want to." His face had the same expression as that day when they had brunch with Elena, Caroline and Jo. And there she thought the thing that had made him so worried had solved itself. Bonnie finally saw the chance to ask about what was wrong.

"Kai, what is going on with you recently?" she asked in a soft tone.

Lifting his body up on his elbows he intensely watched her. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, quit pretending. I know there is something wrong. You have been acting strange all since the day of our little brunch. After that I thought you were better but now I just remembered that you are excellent at covering up what you really feel and think. But right now you are clearly bothered by something. I can see."

Kai breathed in sharply and looked away from Bonnie's interrogating stare. I jaw was clenching. Oh boy, this wasn't going the way that Bonnie had hoped. She tried to make him open up to her. "I mean, I don't want to push you. If you don't want to talk about it it's fine. I just want you to know that you can talk to me. I am here for you. I am worried about you and I want to help you." She reached for his arm but he sat up quickly, getting out of her reach.

"You can't help. There is nothing you can do." He looked into the distance, not facing her.

"How do you know? Sometimes having a second opinion is helpful. I can give you another perspective on things." She said softly but firm.

"You don't get it, Bonnie!" Kai sounded angrier now and looked at her.

"No, I don't because you wouldn't tell me what's going on." Bonnie now shot back with more force. For a second their gazes were stuck on each other. The intensity and unease in Kai's eyes deeply unsettled her but he quickly looked away, dropping his head into his hands. Bonnie felt desperation building up inside her. She just wanted to be there for him.

"It's alright. I won't push you. You can tell me when you're ready. I just wanted you to know that whenever you need to talk I am here. That's what friends are for. In good times and in bad."

Silence stretched out between them. Bonnie watched Kai for a few more moments but then she turned away, feeling too desperate to help him ease his pain. She watched the very last sunbeams disappear from the sky, giving away to the darkness to cover the town, blowing a fresh breeze up the roof. Bonnie shivered but not only from the cold wind. When the silence got nearly unbearable Bonnie was about to say something to take his mind off of things when he finally said something. She hadn't expected him to say anything anymore and when he did nothing would have prepared her for the hard fact he was about to present to her.

"My mom is sick."

Bonnie's head shot to the side and she looked at him with wide eyes. "What? What do you mean sick?" she asked worried.

"She got diagnosed with kidney failure few years back. She got onto the list for transplantation and got dialysis. But then she got pregnant again with the twins when they had found a kidney for her. She refused the operation after she learned and would rather have the babies than get well. There was a high chance that the medication she had to get would hurt the babies." Kai paused, swallowing hard. He hadn't moved, looking in the distance and not at Bonnie while he told the story. "After their birth, mom was feeling pretty well, the dialysis still helped. The doctors were surprised to see her so healthy and we all had hope that she would make it until they had found another kidney. And then the night before we had the brunch, I had to get her to the hospital. She had woken Jo and me up in the middle of the night, because dad wasn't home. I knew it the minute she woke me that something was wrong. At the hospital they confirmed what we already knew, the dialysis wasn't enough anymore. She would need to have a transplant fast."

The words lay heavy on Bonnie. She was shocked to the core. No one she ever knew had a bad disease like that. She didn't know what she could possible say to make this better. Kai had been right, she couldn't do anything. She could only be there for him now.

"Kai, I am so sorry." Bonnie moved closer to him but wasn't touching him. She wasn't sure if he'd want her to right now.

"See, now that you know there is nothing you can do to make this any better." He said sadly and the expression on his face when he looked at her tore Bonnie's heart out. She raised her arms and placed them around his neck, pressing him close to her. At first he didn't react to it but after a while he hugged her back.

Bonnie had no idea how long they sat like this and it didn't matter. She wouldn't let him go until he let her go. She felt his breathing getting calmer the longer she hold him and then he drew away from her. She reluctantly released him, feeling useless already. When she hugged him she at least felt like she gave him the impression that she was there with him.

"Is that the reason you hate the twins?" Bonnie hesitantly asked him after a while.

He faced her again, expression completely blank. "Yes, their lone existence makes me mad. They shouldn't have been born; mom should have done operation and let them go. But no, of course she would sacrifice her health for the wellbeing of her unborn children. Every time I look at them I see my mom being in the hospital. Their lone existence makes me sick. Because they are alive all of us have to suffer, because they are alive my mom is going to die." He was yelling this now. He was not only sad and terrified because of this but also angry.

"You don't know that. You don't know that she is going to die, there are probably a thousand other treatments the doctors can give her and then they are going to find a kidney for her." Bonnie tried to relax him.

"Do you have any idea how long it takes to get a transplant organ? Refusing one makes you start righ at the bottom of the list again and that is a long list! Jo and I aren't a match either so we can't give her one. "He was calmer now, desperate again, letting his head fall back into his hands. Bonnie's hand carefully stroke though his hair, her other hand rested on his right arm and she leaned her cheek onto his shoulders.

"I know there is nothing I can say to make this any better but… if you ever need anything, no matter what, just name it. I'll do whatever I can to help you get through this. I'm here for you." Bonnie whispered.

They sat like this for a while longer. Then Kai looked up and turned to Bonnie who raised her head off his shoulder. "Thank you." Kai said.

"For what?" Bonnie drove her hand though his hair again.

"Listening." Kai's eyes lids were getting heavier. He looked really tired, Bonnie could tell even with the few light there was.

"Don't mention it." She smiled softly at him.

"No, you were right. I had to talk to someone about it. And there is actually something you can do for me."

"Name it!"

"Can you just behave the exact same way as before? Being with you was actually one of the few things that got my mind off of things and I wouldn't want to lose that. I would hate it if we couldn't be normal anymore."

Bonnie smiled. "Of course."

Kai smiled back at her and squeezed her hand that was still on his arm lightly. Then he got up from the matt and offered her his hand. "Come on, it's getting cold. Time to get the hell out of this place."

 **Author's note: Ooooh, I am feeling so bad for putting Kai in a position like that and I hope you are not mad at me for doing that. I kinda needed him to show his vulnerable side and this whole situation is going to have a huge impact on Bonnie's and Kai relationship later on in the story. Just a little tease. So, again this chapter is super long, I just thought I'd get this out in one piece to celebrate the twentieth chapter. Thanks you all so much for sticking around so far. I love all of you and am very thankful for all the nice words. Until next time!**


	21. Chapter Twenty-One: There Is A Time

Chapter Twenty-one: There Is A Time For Everything

Sitting cross-legged on her friend's bed, watching her get ready for the very important date she would have with her new boyfriend or at least that was what Bonnie had started calling Stefan Salvatore even though Elena had vehemently denied that they were officially together. But Bonnie figured that Elena only wanted her approval to finally make it their official label.

Her father had picked her up from the airport this afternoon and had brought her back to his place. The house that she used to call home and that now was only a mere memory. Her room was still there but that was the only sign of anyone beside her father ever living there. Bonnie didn't have enough time or motivation to change much in her childhood room so there were still a lot of stuffed animals and toys lying around in boxes and the wallpaper was pink with heart ornament spread all across the wall.

Bonnie had only settled in short before heading to her grams house to quickly pick up the car she always allowed her to use while in Mystic Falls. Her dad wasn't mad because he had a lot of work to do like usually when Bonnie visited.

After a quick hello Bonnie headed to the Gilberts house. Elena had called her a few days ago to ask her if she was free the first night of her three-days-long visit. She wanted to introduce Bonnie to Stefan. Bonnie had agreed to meet the new man in her friend's life and had asked Jeremy if he wanted to come along, making this thing kind of a double date. He had agreed to spend the night with his sister, his girlfriend and the new guy who he apparently hadn't met before, which was odd because Elena's parents hadn't stopped talking about him when Bonnie had greeted them.

"So, where is Jeremy again?" Elena asked while trying to decide whether to go with curly or straight hair.

"He said he needed to run some errands in town so he is going to meet us at the Grill!" Bonnie explained. Jeremy had called her right before she was headed to their house that he was going to meet them at the Grill.

" So, anything in particular you want me to pay attention to tonight?" Bonnie asked and she could see Elena smile through the mirror.

"No, I just need you honest opinion after tonight. Caroline already gave me her judgment but I still need yours."

"What if I don't like him?" Bonnie wondered out loud.

"Well, then I'll have to think about what poor choice of character I am." Elena giggled. It was so obvious that this Stefan guy had gotten under her skin, so Bonnie was going to be very careful with her words later; she didn't want to ruin this for her.

"So why is your mom not here? It is her mother's birthday tomorrow after all!" Elena asked to change the subject.

"Oh, she'll arrive sometime in the night. She had the late shift today so she couldn't get the same flight as me, but she'll be here tomorrow."

„Good, mom will be very happy to see her."

Bonnie had to smile when she thought about the fact that her mom and Elena's mom had been best friends since their childhood, just like Elena and her. Their mothers had passed on that to then.

"How much longer is this going to take? I am starving." Bonnie took a look at her phone to see that they were supposed to be at the Grill in 15 minutes and Elena was still handling her hair. The brunet laughed about Bonnie's anticipation, probably because she knew that it wasn't only the food she was looking forward to.

"It'll only be a minute."

And Elena would keep her word. The next minute she walked through the room to her bed, put her phone and wallet into her handbag and slipped into the new pair of shoes she had brought home from Portland.

The two girls headed downstairs and said good bye to Grayson and Miranda. Outside Bonnie took out her car keys and they made their way to the Mystic Grill in Bonnie's old car.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"No, you have to tell her the right way. This is not really what happened." Elena's voice rang loud to Bonnie's ear. The Mystic Grill was loud and full of people, like it usually was on a Friday night, but Bonnie was able to make out the voices of the two people sitting with her loud and clear.

"Alright, alright. We ran INTO each other, because neither of us paid any attention to their surroundings and that was when I asked her out. Of course she ditched me for spending the weekend with you and Caroline, but I think that is acceptable." Stefan gave Bonnie a wide and friendly smile. He tried really hard to make a good impression and Bonnie saw that Elena was very smitten with him. But something about this guy bothered Bonnie, she couldn't place it. But she had chosen to give him the benefit of a doubt because he really was nice and kind and friendly. She just hoped that her first impression was wrong and the better she would get to know him the more this feeling would go away.

Bonnie returned Stefan's smile hesitantly. She hoped he would only think she was shy or something or that she was mad at Jeremy for being late.

When he was 30 minutes late Bonnie tried calling him but he never picked up, she then decided to start ordering no matter if he was there or not. Now they had already finished their meals and Jeremy was nowhere to be found. Bonnie was furious.

Elena picked up on her tense mood and tried easing it with jokes here and there but despite her friend's effort Bonnie was brooding the entire evening.

When it was time to get going Elena hugged Stefan goodbye and Bonnie also gave him a weird hug. She had decided that he was a good guy and thanks to the long distance between Portland and Mystic Falls she had no need to see him too often.

The two friends made their way to Bonnie's car parked around the corner. As soon as Stefan was out of earshot Elena turned to Bonnie. "So? What do you think?"

Bonnie hesitated, she wasn't gonna lie to her friend. "I'm going to be honest with you, he is nice and I think the two of you are going to make a sweet couple, but there is still something about him that I can't place. I don't know how to describe it, it's just this feeling I had. But it doesn't matter, I chose to trust him and I trust you, so go for it."

"Really?" Elena asked skeptically.

"Sure, turn around and run after him, he is not too far away." Bonnie couldn't even finish the sentence before Elena started running towards Stefan and Bonnie had to laugh. She looked after her friend for a moment and then turned to the bench nearby to wait for her. She still had to drive Elena home.

While she waited for the heavy make out session from across the street to end a familiar voice rang to her ear calling her name. She got up, not giving Jeremy a glance and wanted to rush to her car and wait for Elena there. But Jeremy was faster; he grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him.

"Hey stranger!" he said in a soft tone like nothing was wrong.

Bonnie didn't look at him neither did she say anything. She was just facing the pavement, afraid to slap him in the face if he kept acting like everything was okay.

"Are you leaving already?" Jeremy asked and tried to sound innocent but Bonnie looked right through it. No way he wasn't aware of the time, he knew exactly how late he was and he didn't need to make a show, not for Bonnie's sake. His dumb question made her lose it.

"Already? Don't play dumb with me, Jeremy. We have waited for hours for you to show up and you didn't. You said you would be a little late, NEWSFLASH but a few hours is not just a little late. I can't believe that I was actually excited for this evening. All the promises you made me the last couple weeks, that you missed me and want to spend time with me and when I am actually here, you're just the same as always." She paused and brushed his hand of her arm. "I don't even know why I'm surprised. I should have expected it."

In the distance Bonnie saw Elena approach them. Apparently her make out session with Stefan had come to an end and she had said her goodbyes. Elena saw the two of them together and Bonnie could read something like relief crossing her features but the closer she got the more she took the scene in. This was no happy reunion and Elena hesitated, stopping halfway to her, not sure if she should be interrupting right now.

But Bonnie indicated her to get over to her and get going. She turned her back to Jeremy and started walking to her car.

"Bonnie, I am really sorry. I didn't mean to be so late but I couldn't make it earlier. Please, can we talk about this? You could come over and we could talk." Jeremy's voice sounded desperate and vulnerable but Bonnie was too furious to give a shit right now.

"Hey, Jer." Came Elena's voice from behind and he quickly turned around to give his sister a greeting smile before his attention was back at Bonnie.

Bonnie sighed not bothering to fully face him as she watched Elena go to the passenger's seat.  
"I'm tiered Jer. I'll give Elena a ride and then I'll go home and sleep."

The way she mentioned only giving Elena a ride he realized that she really didn't want to see him right now. At least that he respected because he didn't ask about hitching a ride with her, too.

"Okay, I see you tomorrow I guess?" he asked and stepped away from the car a little. Bonnie only nodded and got into the car not giving him another glance. Elena's eyes were on her when she started the engine but she didn't say anything until Bonnie was near the Gilbert's house.

"Bonnie, are you alright? I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I couldn't help but hear you were kind of furious with Jer there."

"Can you blame me? Jeremy has been acting like he has no fucking interest in seeing me for a while now and when he said he wanted to spend some time with me he doesn't show up. I feel a little hoaxed to be honest." Bonnie's tone was mad and she practically shouted at her friend which instantly made her feel bad. Elena had nothing to do with her problems with Jeremy. She shouldn't let her fury out on her. A heavy sigh escaped her when she parked the car in front of Elena's house. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lash out on you like that."

Elena smiled at her understandingly. "I get it, Bonnie. You're mad but please, hear Jer out I think he is going to have a good explanation for tonight. He's done really well the past few weeks, was really excited to see you."

"Don't be mad at me, but I actually don't want to talk about it right now. I am really tired from the flight and just want to sleep." Bonnie said silently not looking at her friend but she knew Elena had an understanding smile on her face.

"'Cause Bonnie. So, see you tomorrow." She hugged her friend good night but before she closed the door of the car Bonnie turned to her and said. "Hey, I had a nice evening."

Elena smiled and turned to walk to the house.

Rushing to her father's house in less than 5 minutes, Bonnie really felt like she could fall asleep just then. She quickly told her dad that she was back and excused herself into the bathroom. She took a quick shower and went back into her old room. Letting herself fall on the bed she hoped for the sleep to take over in a heartbeat so she wouldn't have to waste too much thought on Jeremy.

But the shower had awoken her senses and the sleep wouldn't come to her. She watched her alarm clock on her bedside cabinet. 11:24 p.m.

Bonnie growled and turned around on her belly. There was no way she would be able to find sleep anytime soon. But she didn't want to wreck her brain over the events of the night. Distraction plans formed in her brain and one by one she crossed them off her list: she couldn't call Elena to talk because she would want to talk about Jeremy, the one topic she was trying to avoid; it was too late to call Caroline because she knew her friend had a routine of getting to sleep early when she had a gathering of any kind on the next day; the television program would probably not be any help; she could watch some DVD's but therefore she would have to leave her room and go to the living room, for hers didn't have a TV and she didn't feel like getting out of her bed to sit on the uncomfortable couch of her father. She sighed.

And then she remembered the time difference between Virginia and Oregon. She quickly turned around to fetch her cell from the bedside cabinet and went through her contact list. She was already smiling from anticipation because she knew that the person she was going to call was probably the only person on this planet that could always lighten her mood.

She pressed the call button on her phone and heard the familiar beep, indication that his phone was just now buzzing because of her call. But when he didn't pick up instantly and she kept on waiting without him answering his phone Bonnie's smile slowly died. Just before she was going to hang up his familiar teasing voice rang through the devise.

"Oh, well. She's not even gone for a day and she already misses me." Kai's voice sounded happy despite his mean words and Bonnie had to laugh.

"Hello to you too, idiot!" She could imagine his face lighting up the way it always does when she called him names. Bonnie noticed the background sounds on his end.

"Is it a bad time?" she asked as she witnessed the sounds dying off.

"No, I was just at Brian's place, he is kinda throwing a party but I'm just leaving."

Bonnie frowned at his comment. "Who the hell are you? Your friend is KINDA throwing a party- something that you have to explain to me in detail sometime- and you are leaving before it even begins?"

She heard him laugh at her question and suddenly all the tension from the night drifted away.

"Well, he just decided to throw it five minutes ago without having any idea who to call or how to get some alcohol or anything. I just don't feel like spending my Friday night like that."

"Okay, understandable. How are you doing?"

"Just like I was today at school. Believe it or not but nothing happened in the few hours that you are away that would dramatically change my life." Kai said in a semi serious voice.

"Well, one can never be sure with you."

"What about you? You good?"

Bonnie hesitated there for a moment. Her intention had been to pretend like nothing was wrong but something about this boy made her want to open up. But no, she didn't want to annoy him with her troubles, he had enough of his own.

"Bon…?" Kai reassured himself if she was still there.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm good. Just came back from dinner with Elena and her new boyfriend."

Kai wasn't convinced. "And now we are going to do that again and you are going to tell me how you really feel."

She sighed. "How did you know?"

"Bonnie Bennett is calling me in the middle of the night for no good reason? I don't think so. I knew something was up the moment your name pooped up on my screen. So, spill!" He sounded a little bossy- not angry or something- but Bonnie understood why, she had been bugging him about being honest to her and tell her things all the time that it was his turn now to demand the same. She couldn't help the small smile that formed around her lips because of the fact that he cared about this.

"Well, boy troubles. I don't think that you would want to hear it and I actually didn't call to talk about it. I just needed to take my mind off of this for a moment."

"Well, I accept that, but just so you know: this whole superficial act of yours, not sharing your emotions and stuff, I won't take it too much longer." He started faking a southern accent. "I am not just some random guy you can call whenever you want. I have standards, my love. Don't mistake me for one of your other sluts."

Bonnie snorted with laughter. He kept on going with the annoyed girlfriend act and the way he was completely failing the southern accent made her laugh even harder. She held her rips and begged him to stop and then suddenly all she heard on the other end was his laugh joining hers.

When she finally caught her breath she sighed.

"No, but seriously, you need anything?" Kai's voice was still light from the moment they just shared over the phone but she could still hear the serious concern in it.

"Not anymore, you already delivered on the getting my mind off of things part." She giggled.

"Good, I still offer my never bored auditory functions if you change your mind."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. And maybe I will call you tomorrow and tell you all about it. So be prepared, I am going to annoy the shit out of you during this weekend." Bonnie turned over on her bed, lying on her side and pressing her phone to ear, relaxing because now that she talked to him she felt more at ease, a little bit more like… home.

"You would be surprised at my endurance, Bonnie."

"Oh, I would never make the mistake to underestimate you, Malachai Parker, but you haven't seen me in my talkative mood yet. You would have to listen for hours and I don't doubt you can do that but I doubt that you could keep your own mouth shut for longer than 5 minutes straight, so that is going to be the real challenge." She snickered.

"Aaah, so that's what you really think of me, right?" And Bonnie laughed as a response. Suddenly her eyelids were getting heavier and the fatigue for earlier took over. She yawned into the phone.

"I think I'll go to sleep now. Thank you for cheering me up."

"Always at your service." He stated and she smiled.

"Good night, Kai."

"Night, Bon. Sleep tight."

Bonnie could barely press the button to end the call before the darkness took over her body and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _Happy birthday to you  
Happy birthday to you  
Happy birthday dear Sheila  
Happy birthday to you_

Bonnie applauded heavily as her grams stood in the center of attention and every visitor sang the song to her. Sheila Bennett was visibly touched.

Abby had rushed to her mother after everyone had finished and hugged her tightly and Bonnie was second in row to congratulate her grandmother.

It was a very nice day and the crowd had gathered in her grandmother's back yard. It wasn't a big yard so the place felt kind of stuffed but her grams looked so happy that none of that mattered. It was her day and anyone who thought it was too crowded here could stay away, for Bonnie's sake. Grams wouldn't need such negativity today.

Bonnie made way for all the other guests to greet and congratulate her grandmother. She and Abby went back inside to get the birthday cake Bonnie had smuggled inside the house without her grams knowing. When they came back out with the sliced cake her grams expression turned even more sparkling. She had always appreciated good foot.

The guests had settled with a piece of cake on the chairs and tables that Abby and Bonnie had gathered last minute from grams' basement or the neighbors. Bonnie headed to the table where Caroline and Elena were seated because her grams was already surrounded by some old friends and Bonnie would have time to spent with her grandmother at a later point of the day, while Abby stayed with Elena's parents on the table next to them.

Caroline smiled at her when she approached. "Oh, look at your grams! She looks so happy."

Bonnie laughed a little, Caroline had always been a sucker for cheesy moments like these. "Yeah, I think she really is happy."

Bonnie put her own slice of cake in front of her, sat down and started eating it. It wasn't too bad Bonnie had to admit to herself. At least she wasn't a total loser on the baking front.

"Sooo, Bonnie, why don't you fill me in on your final verdict about Stefan Salvatore?" Caroline turned her eyes to Bonnie.

"Well, like I told Elena, I think they are great together."

"Ha, told you she would approve him!" This time Caroline turned to Elena and the latter smiled brightly at Bonnie and she returned it. "So can I officially call the two of you an item?"

"Way it looked yesterday, I'd assume a big fat YES!" Bonnie teased and fought back a laugh.

Elena watched her with wide eyes and Caroline's mouth dropped open. "Elena Gilbert, did I miss anything here?" she accused her with fake shock and the three of them laughed.

"Alright, relax guys. We're not getting married tomorrow so slow down on your commentary." Elena gestured to the table next to them where her parents and Bonnie's mom were currently laughing about a joke Grayson Gilbert had made.

"Okay, let's change the subject then." Caroline suggested. "Bonnie, where is Jeremy? I thought he wanted to be here for the celebration."

Bonnie quickly looked away from her friend and focused her attention to her cake. She hadn't filled Caroline in about her fight with Jeremy last night. There had just not been a calm moment like this today with all the visitors.

"What is going on here?" Caroline asked, concerned. She looked between Bonnie and Elena because her brunet friend's expression had turned into a knowing concern too.

"We had a fight yesterday. He didn't show up for our date and when I ran into him I kind of snapped. I was just so disappointed that apparently all his talk about spending time together was fake. I should have known better." She sighed.

"Oh, Bon." Elena grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Caroline on the other hand had a total different reaction.

"Wow, his change of heart lasted real long, didn't it? Did he even spend a second with you this weekend?" Caroline barked out angrily.

"Care..." Elena alerted but Caroline ignored her.

"The dude is unbelievable. Books a flight to come see you in Portland so you can spend more time together but when he had the opportunity to see you after month he just doesn't show up? What's wrong with him?" Caroline was talking herself into a rant now.

"Care, calm down. We don't know what happened with him. Maybe he just got detained by something. Bonnie hasn't even talked to him yet, let's not jump to conclusions." Elena defended her brother.

"Who is jumping to conclusions here, Elena? I mean I'm just stating the fact that your brother, Bonnie's BOYFRIEND, who knew she was coming for weeks, didn't have the ability to plan his weekend in a way to spend the better part of it with her! What kind of boyfriend does that?" Caroline and Elena were now facing each other. Bonnie had enough of their ongoing rivalry and she didn't want to get into this with them in a mood like this, so she grabbed her cake and stood up. She knew her friends didn't mean it in a bad way but this conversation was just too much for Bonnie. She hadn't even made up her mind about how to handle the situation yet.

"Bonnie, where are you going?" Caroline asked her with regret and concern written on her face. "We'll stop talking about it, I promise." She grabbed Bonnie's arm apologetically but Bonnie shook her head.

"I'm not mad. I just want to be alone for a second." Caroline smiled and let go of her.

Making her way into the house, she passed by her grams table and earned an interrogating look from her, but Bonnie only smiled. Inside the house she turned to the left and opened the door opposite her grams open living room, stepping into a whole different world. This room had belonged to her mother while she grew up and while Bonnie grew up in Mystic Falls, she had claimed this room for her own.

Grams had never bothered to change anything in the room that was why aerobic posters from the early 80s stared down at Bonnie and a handful of phonograph records were lined up on the book shelve. Bonnie had loved roaming threw her moms old stuff when she was a kid. Always fascinated by the things Abby had been gathering while she was a teenager. It had been her sanctuary growing up.

So now she was returning to that sanctuary, only to think about her troubled relationship with a boy. Her fist boyfriend, who acted like he had no interest in staying that. Bonnie sat down on the bed and looked out the window. From this room she could see the street and the front yard that let up to the entrance of her grams cozy little house.

A knock on the door made Bonnie jump a little and when the door slowly opened she saw her grams peeking into the room.

"Thought there was some kind of misery crossing over your face." Grams stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She made it through the room in no time and sat next to Bonnie on the bed. "Wanna tell you old grams what is bothering you so much you'd leave a party like that, child?"

Bonnie tried to fake a smile and reassure her grandmother everything was alright, but she was surprised when tears streamed down her face when she looked up to her.

"Oh, poor girl. Come here." Grams held her arms open for Bonnie to slip into her embrace and when she did Bonnie placed her head onto her shoulder and cried for a few minutes straight. Grams was brushing her hair the entire time, patiently waiting for her granddaughter to open up about the why.

When Bonnie had calmed down, she lifted her face off Sheila's shoulder looking into her eyes through a shadow of tears.

"It's about Jeremy." She finally managed to say.

"Oh my, what has the boy done?"

"Nothing. I mean, that is kind of the problem. He had been distant for some time now but I thought we were on a path to make it all better again. He promised to spend more time with me, he even booked a flight to come visit me in Portland. But yesterday, it was just like always. I don't even know why this upsets me so much, I should have been prepared for something like that." Bonnie shook her head, lowering it.

"What is he doing exactly? Not texting you back instantly when you ask him a question?" Grams asked.

Bonnie glared at the old woman but she quickly drew up her palms to indicate she meant no harm.  
"I just want to know what kind of distant we are talking about here."

"Well, he practically ignores me for days straight and then acts like he can't wait to see me and now that I am here he stands me up. It is like he doesn't even care. I don't know what to do."

"What do Caroline and Elena say about this?"

"Ergh, they are arguing. Caroline is furious and Elena is constantly defending Jeremy, what makes Caroline even more furious."

Grams nodded. Bonnie guessed that she could envision the two girls behaving like that, she did know them their whole lives. When she spoke again her face was serious and her voice calm. "Listen to me carefully, now Bonnie. No boy is worth stepping down from your standards for. If you want to spend more time with Jeremy then he has to be able to do that. If he can't- well maybe then he is not the right guy for you after all. This might sound harsh to you now but you are so young. Jeremy might be your first love but he will probably not be your last and most definitely not be your true love. There is someone out there more deserving of you."

Bonnie only blinked at her grams. She had never been the biggest fan of Jeremy she knew that, but she always held back on her commentary. But it was important for Bonnie to hear this. Someone had to say it to make her realize that this relationship couldn't continue like this.

Looking outside again to clear her thoughts she spotted Jeremy walking to the entrance of her grandmother's house. Sheila had followed her gaze and softly brushed over the back of her head.  
"The only question you have to answer now, child, is whether Jeremy Gilbert is worth a second chance at this or not." And with that grams got off the bed and went to the door. Bonnie followed her with her eyes and before she could slip out of the room she thanked her grandmother for her advice. She knew what she had to do next.

. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This has been way easier in her head. Standing in front of Jeremy now at the end of the road where her grandmother lived and trying to find the right words to make him understand her position.

She had followed her grandmother outside shortly after she had left the room. Heading straight to Jeremy before he could even congratulate her grams, she took all the courage in the world and asked him to walk with her.

The walk had basically been in silence after Jeremy had tried and failed to instigate a conversation about his reasons to be late last night. Bonnie had straight up ignored his words and after a few tries he had stopped, realizing the intensity of the situation.

Now, they were standing at the end of the road at the cross roads. Not only literally but also figuratively.

"So, what is the reason of your silent treatment?" Jer asked, nervously trying to lighten the mood with his joke. Bonnie breathed in, the talk she had prepared in her head the past few minutes sparking to the surface.

"I… When Elena and Caroline visited me, I was not in a good place. Before they left, I promised myself to have this conversation with you and then you called, telling me you'd come visit me next month and I was… so happy. I was blinded by that happiness again, thinking that maybe you're your phase of indifference towards me was over, that it would get back to normal but… then yesterday you just stood me up. Let me finish." Her left palm had gone up in the air as Jeremy tried to interrupt her by giving her some shitty explanation. Bonnie resumed as he stayed silent. "Your behavior hurts me, Jer. I feel like I am just a cover for you. Like you don't even want to be my boyfriend and I have hoped for so long now that you would change. But I realized that hoping alone won't change anything. It had always been my last defense but I guess, even that last defense is now gone."

There was silence spreading between them. Bonnie didn't dare to look into his eyes just now, afraid of what she might see would make her decision crumble.

"What are you trying to say Bonnie?" Jer's confused voice reached her ears and Bonnie forced herself to look at him for the last part of her speech.

"I'm trying to tell you that the relationship that we are having right now it not enough for me anymore. I don't want to be with a shadow. I want to be with someone that loves me and wants to be with me. And I don't think you can do that. I'm sorry Jer, but I think we should break up."

Jeremy's face was blank of all emotions. He seemed like her breaking up with him came out of nowhere but he must have known that treating her like that was going to come around to bite him one day. Or did he think she was so devoted to him, so in love and depended that she would never leave him?

"So, you're breaking up with me? Just like that? Because I was late yesterday?"

Bonnie sighed. He didn't understand. "No, it is not only because of yesterday but all the weeks before that. You have ignored me and if you didn't you acted strange and I have no idea why. And actually, I don't want to hear another of your sister's excuses why you couldn't make it or why you don't call as often as you should. I don't have the nerve for that and honestly, I value myself too much to take this any longer." Her voice has risen by the end. She hadn't intended to become angry but his obvious ignorance for her feelings did that to her.

Now, Jeremy too got angry. She could see it on his face. "So, you are breaking up with me, without giving me a second chance to make this right? What, do you think you are some kind of saint that can judge people without ever doing anything bad herself?"

Bonnie blinked in surprise- she couldn't understand his sudden outburst. "I don't say that I don't make any mistakes. In fact, I made quite a big one recently when I kissed another guy while I was drunk."

Jeremy's gaze quickly turned up to her, his eyes filled with fury, like he wanted to throttle her.

"But that is not the point. I don't care if you are mad at me for what I did, I was mad at myself too but that action only showed me that there was something wrong with our relationship and it made me think about what I actually want."

"So, you want that other guy? Who is he? Is it this new friend of yours? This badboy? Have you lost your brain now Bonnie?" He kept his gazed glued to hers, still full off irrational anger.

"What? It doesn't matter. If I would be breaking up with you because of someone else I would have the gut to tell you so. I think after all the time we had together we owe a little honesty to each other, don't you think?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, whatever you say." He wiped her comment off with his hand and turned away from her but he didn't leave.

After another silent pause Bonnie tried to reason with him once more. "I don't want us to part on bad terms. I still care about you, Jer, deeply. I just can't be with you anymore. Not like this. There is too much broken between us."

"At least we agree on that, but I think you and I have a different kind of explanation about why we are that way. While you think I neglected you, I think the one responsible for breaking us is you, Bonnie. You betrayed me! You went behind my back and then you pretended like everything was okay. Let me tell you something, kissing someone else while you are in a relationship that sucks. And no matter how much you tell yourself that I am the culprit, I will never stop blaming you." He screamed at her and then abruptly turned around and walked away from her, leaving her behind.

She stood there, perplexed at the turn this conversation had taken. Deeply hurt she turned around to go back to her grams party, thinking about his words and if they held more than just a little bit of truth.

 **Author's note:**

 **Dun, dun. So Bonnie and Jeremy are done. Right?**

 **Another pretty long chapter. I needed to get this done and I didn't know where to cut this so I didn't and now you are presented with the whole glory of this pretty depressing chapter. Next chapter will be back in Portland dealing with the repercussions of this break up. Hope you liked it, or in the case of this chapter, at least accept it. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two: The New Now

Chapter Twenty-Two: The New Now

Bonnie woke up from a very rough pull away of her blanket. She groaned and tried to warp it back around her body without opening her eyes. Her hand searched for the tip of it and when she found it an unfriendly hand smacked hers away.

"Oh, hell no. You are going to get out of this stupid little bed and get ready. We're already late, so chop-chop."

Bonnie opened one eye only to see Faye Matthews staring back at her with raised eyebrows, tapping an imaginary watch on her wrist. With another groan Bonnie turned around and hid her face under her pillow.

"Bonnie freaking Bennett. Get your lazy ass out of you bed or I will kick it." Faye let herself fall on Bonnie's bed and shook her shoulders.

"Okay, okay. I hear you! Just… give me five more minutes, Kim Yong n." Bonnie shoved Faye off of her and slowly sat up in her bed.

"Good. You have half an hour, otherwise we will totally be late for school. For the SECOND lesson, might I add?"

"Calm down, I didn't have to be there for the first lesson so I am totally on schedule." That was a lie. Not the first part, she really didn't have to be at school for the first class because her teacher called in sick this morning. But she hadn't had any plans on going to school today at all. Her mom was still in Virginia spending some quality time with grams and that fact gave Bonnie the best opportunity to stay home today and ravel in the bad feeling she had taken home with her from Mystic Falls.

"Why are you here, anyways?" Bonnie asked as she got out of bed.

"Hello? It is not every day that my friend breaks up with the poor excuse of her boyfriend after not seeing him in ages. So I made it my task to make sure you don't drown yourself in sorrow. Today, I am all on Bonnie-duty, making sure that you come find your way back to reality as fast as possible."

This was typical Faye. She had it all planned out. Yesterday, when Bonnie had called her from the airport to tell her what was going on, Faye had probably started planning the next two years of Bonnie's life to make sure, this decision and her feelings attached to it didn't obstruct any of Bonnie's future. Bonnie-Bennett-Recovery-Service-101.

As Bonnie went into the bathroom to get a much needed shower, Faye made her way into the kitchen to prepare a little meal for her. She had to smile about her friends intentions. She knew that Faye cared deeply for her and she remembered all the times Bonnie had to be a good friend to Faye due to heartbreaks and loosing yet another love of her- still not too progressed - life. At least with Faye's help she wouldn't need to think about Jeremy all day.

When Bonnie took a look at herself in the mirror an image came to her mind. Jeremy, yelling at her, something in his eyes she couldn't quite place, but it wasn't hurt or any other emotion she would have predicted in a situation like that. His reaction had completely surprised her and the accusations he had made…

It wasn't because she was heartbroken or anything like that that she had decided to stay home today. She wasn't the kind of girl to stop her whole life over a boy, she couldn't be. She just didn't want to talk this whole thing through with any of her friends, mostly because she hadn't wrapped her head around everything either. Not understanding his reaction, not sure if it even was the right one on her part… But no, it had been right. No way could she have taken this any second longer. True, she still cared deeply for this boy and knowing that he was back in Mystic Falls dealing with her decision all on his own didn't settle any of her thoughts.

The shower didn't have the wanted effect on her. She still felt tiered and uneasy. She quickly dried her hair and got ready. Very slowly she took the steps downstairs and joined Faye in her kitchen. Surprisingly Faye had made quite a meal in the short time she had been showering and given the fact that her mom didn't bother to go grocery shopping on the weekend the filled table she was walking in on was even more of a surprise.

"Sit, eat!" Faye demanded in her strict mother-like voice.

Bonnie did as she was told; not realizing that she indeed was pretty hungry. She reached of a French toast and put it on her plate.

"Okay, let us just go over this thing real quick." Faye was in full secretary-mode. "Today, I am going to make sure that you don't spend a second alone if you don't want to. I already briefed Connor, Liza and Perry on your condition, don't worry I didn't give them any specifics, going to let you decide how or if you want to tell them. Plus, I give you the one time chance to decide about the way I am going to treat you today. Do you need me to be nice and caring or just my normal self. You can choose now."

Just like Bonnie had expected. Bonnie-Bennett-Recovery-Service. For the first time in a day Bonnie genially smiled. "Well, I think being your normal self will do." She ate a little of her French toast and it tasted delicious.

"Right. Then next business order: Do you need to talk about this whole thing or can I assume you need a little time to think about it yourself. I mean, of course you can always initiate a conversation about …him if you like, but do you want someone else to initiate it for you or not?"

"Not!"

"Good, that is a clear answer." Finally Faye came to rest and sit next to her. "So now that we settled all of this. How are you?" Her voice turned back to the caring and concerned way she had witnessed so often when it seemed like Bonnie was in real trouble.

"I am actually not so sure. I have never broken up with someone before. I don't know how I am supposed to feel, just that it feel different. Weird, in some way."

"That's because you, my little friend, are back on the market and that can feel a little strange in the beginning but trust me, there are going to be more than enough people lining up to date you!"

"Hold on, hold on. I just broke up with Jeremy two days ago. I'm not thinking about getting back out there any time soon." Bonnie declared while swallowing the last of her toast.

"I hear you, but in my experience it always happens faster than you imagine. And let's be honest, you are a stunning, hot, smart young lady and any male person in this universe would be either deaf, blind or gay if they wouldn't want to take their chances with you!" Faye smiled her usual smirk and Bonnie laughed a little. She always knew how to take the edge off of certain topics.

"Well, just don't try and set me up with anyone please? I am not looking for something new anytime soon and only if I meet someone by accident will I reverse that statement."

"Hm." Faye shrugged. "That's enough for me. Just don't want you to give up on love just yet. And now come on, we have to go."

Bonnie sighed, getting up from the table. She grabbed some more grapes on her way out and the two girls got into Faye's car and drove to school.

Faye made sure to supply Bonnie with the necessary supplies for the next class. An apple, her number on speed dial and a lot of chocolate before she headed in the different direction to join her gym class. Bonnie waved at her when she started jogging away from her.

Making her own way to her classroom, her thoughts drifted back to Jeremy and the way he tried to blame Bonnie for everything that went wrong between them. Of course, Bonnie was not dumb she knew that she had made some mistakes her own, worst one kissing Kai the night of the party. But the way Jeremy tried to pin the blame on her because of this one bad move of hers and trying to make it seem like she wanted to be with Kai rather than him and making this the real reason for her breaking up with him was just… unrealistic.

Thinking of Kai made Bonnie speed up. She hadn't talked to him yet about what happened and she now realized that she was anticipating his reaction the most. Not her moms, or Elena and Caroline's reaction to her decision- which by the way had been really predictable, Elena being totally surprised and Caroline cheering, more on the inside but Bonnie knew she secretly wanted to kiss her for finally ending things- but Kai's reaction. Somehow she wanted him to be understanding and telling her that she would get over it. And most of all, she wanted to feel his strong arms wrapped around her and comforting her.

Entering the classroom her anticipation quickly faded away. There was no trace of Kai Parker anywhere in the room. Bonnie sighed. A short wave of anger rushed through her, because her best friend wasn't there for her in a time of need, but then she urged herself. He didn't know. And it had been a long shot to see him turn up on a Monday morning and listen to Ms. Gibbens giving them the last details about the Second World War. Silently, and sad, she made her way to a free chair and put all her stuff on the table.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

School would never end today. She was sitting in the canteen with Faye, Connor and Liza. Perry had been sick all day so he was missing from the group. Her friends were currently discussing the newest episode of Game of Thrones but Bonnie didn't pay much attention. She was silently eating her meal, she had no idea what it was but it wasn't too bad.

When she looked up from it she saw Connor looking back at her with concern in his eyes. Just not the look she wanted to have from any one today.

Bonnie had enlightened Connor and Liza on what happened in Mystic Falls the first chance she got. She had no reason not to tell them and telling them had made her feel a little bit better inside. But now Connor was stealing glances every now and then and that made her feel kind of insecure because she couldn't totally decipher them.

She watched back at him with a questioning expression but he quickly looked away. Weird.

"What do you say, honey?" Faye turned to Bonnie but she had no idea what she was asking about and didn't bother hiding it. "Do you want to come to the carnival with us on Saturday?" Faye informed her.

"Oh, I… I don't know if I am up for that. Might be a real buzzkill."

"I think we can handle you. But you can always rethink it. Just know that you are very welcome to join us." Liza said in her typical lovely girl-next-door-voice. Bonnie smiled at her even though she wasn't in the mood for it. It was surprisingly easy to fake a smile, she had done it quite often today. She ran into Jo earlier and had given the performance of a lifetime to pretend that everything was good. Maybe if she kept this up people would soon forget that she was currently in an emotional rollercoaster.

The rest of the school day didn't get by at all. Faye made good on her promise not to leave Bonnie alone for a second if she didn't want to. She spent the remaining day with Liza and Connor following her around like puppies but it was okay. Liza and Connor were polite enough not to bug her with annoying questions and they managed to get her thoughts off the Jeremy mess at least a bit.

. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _Beep._ _"Hey Bonnie, honey. I just wanted to check in with you and see if you are alright but it seems like you're not home yet. So call me when you need anything or if you want me to come home earlier. Grams will totally understand. I love you and don't wreck your brain too much about it. Kiss you!" Beep._

Bonnie deleted the message of her mother from the answering machine. She probably only missed her call for a few minutes because her mother usually knew when Bonnie was home. It was sweet of her to check in with her but Bonnie wouldn't call her back until tonight. She didn't want her mother to worry and she didn't want her to come home just yet. She was sharing a much needed quality time with her own mother and Bonnie wouldn't jeopardize that. No, she was okay on her own for a few days longer.

Bonnie opened the fridge only to find it empty. Of course, with her mom in Virginia there was no one doing the grocery shopping. Bonnie sighed and wondered why she was so hungry. Shouldn't it be completely different? Heartache was usually making people lose their appetite and not double it. Because Bonnie was too tired to get back into the city she decided to order pizza later.

She had a lot to do still. Doing laundry and making homework, plus looking into her literature notes because next week they would write a test on Shakespeare and Bonnie totally hated him. Because right now she had no use of any dumb sonnet or poem or what so ever of this love drunken fool.

So, instead of being productive Bonnie went back to her bed. Cuddling into her blanket she slowly drifted off to sleep. Right before she was finally asleep the door bell woke her up.

Pressing the pillow on her ears she tried to stop the noise from reaching her but the person in front of her door was persistent. A minute later another ring at the door, and another and another. Bonnie angrily got out her bed and stormed to the door, cursing.

"What kind of idiot can't even take a hint? If the door isn't going to get opened no one is HOME!" The last word she threw into the person's face standing before her door and instantly blinked and stepped an inch back.

Kai was half leaning in the door frame, watching her with raised eyebrows. "I can always leave if you want to." He greeted her with sarcasm.

"Sorry, though it would be some courier or something." And then she stepped aside for him to get in. "What are you doing here?"

"Are you kidding?" Kai passed Bonnie and made his way into the living area of the house, Bonnie in tow. "You haven't returned any of my calls or texts for two days. Then Jo comes home asking me all kinds of questions about you because you looked so sad today in school and then I remembered your phone call from the other night. What is wrong?"

So no Oscar for her performance with Jo then. Bonnie felt her vision getting blurry. Oh no, she was about to cry. She was doing so well but the sight of Kai and his intense concern in his voice made her break. She dropped to the couch, buried her face in her hands and started sobbing. There was no holding back anymore, the tears came streaming down her face like a waterfall and with them all the bottled-up emotions.

She felt someone lightly stroke the back of her head and realized Kai had taken the place on the couch as well. Knowing he was there next to her gave her so much comfort. The tears slowly stopped pouring from her eyes and she could make out the worried lines on Kai's face as he studied her intensely.

With a shaking voice she depicted the events of the weekend. During her whole monologue Kai looked her directly in the eyes and kept some kind of body contact, brushing her hair softly or taking her hand. When Bonnie had finished her story with telling her that she had broken up with Jeremy Kai stayed silent for a few moments but then his face unexpectedly lighted up and he had to suppress a laugh.

"I am happy that at least you can find something humorous in my misery." Bonnie said angrily and Kai backed down, lifting up his palms to indicate he had no bad intentions.

"Sorry, Bon. I didn't mean to laugh and I am surely not laughing about your situation. It's just… Jeremy is such a douche. Blaming it all on you when you were the one suffering? He behaves like a five year old that punished his friend by uninviting him to his birthday party. That is kind of ridiculous." He had his voice back under control now but the words coming out of Kai's mouth made sense and they made Bonnie crack up. Now she was the one suppressing a laugh. He smiled back at her and she punched him in the gut.

"Erg, what was that for?" he chuckled.

"Nothing, just wanted to punch you." Bonnie stated emotionless and he laughed.

"Have you eaten yet? I hear that people stop eating when they are in agony." He asked after they had stopped laughing.

"No, I was going to order pizza later. My mom is still in Virginia so there is no one doing the grocery shopping and I am too lazy to get out and be productive." Bonnie confessed.

"So you are all alone tonight?"

"Seems like it. Wanna keep me company?"

"I am going to make sure that you don't drown in self-loathing and tears. Plus, I am going to make sure you get something better to eat than just pizza." Kai got up and went to grab her coat and her bag.

"What are you doing?" Bonnie asked puzzled.

"Get up, I am taken you with me."

"And where would that be?" Bonnie took Kai's outstretched hand and stood up herself.

"To the most annoying place in the world, but with the best food."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

They caught most of the Parker siblings on their way back upstairs.

"You're late, we already ate." Melinda snippily said over her shoulder before vanishing into her room. Bellamy and Joey at least stopped halfway to greet Bonnie and Joey informed Kai that Jo and Evelyn were in the dining room, cleaning up and for that comment he earned an eye roll from Kai but seemed like he didn't understand what it was for.

Bonnie and Kai went into the dining room and nearly ran into Jo carrying a bunch of plates.

"Urgh, watch out bro!" she yelled and quickly disappeared into the kitchen. To Bonnie she made the impression of a very busy waitress right now.

As Bonnie stepped inside the dining room she saw Evelyn Parker sitting at the top end of the table, looking up as she felt them approach. Her face was a little too pale but her eyes shone bright when they spotted who was just walking in. She rose.

"Well, hello." She smiled as Kai approached her and gave her a quick hug. When he drew back she made sure to keep a hold of his arms. "Haven't seen you all day long. How are you doing?"

"I'm good, mom." Kai quickly answered, seemingly trying to get out of her hold. She briefly caressed his cheek and smiled at him, her eyes full of affection even though she had to know there was something more hidden beneath that he wasn't telling her. But she let him go and instead turned her motherly eyes on Bonnie. Her smiled was inviting and when she stepped closer to her and embraced Bonnie in a warm hug, she happily returned it. Evelyn Parker was a person you just had to love.

"Bonnie, my sweet girl. I am so glad to see you. How have you been?"

"Well, let's say it's been complicated." Bonnie didn't want to bother the woman with her teenage problems; she knew she had way bigger ones.

Evelyn's face turned worried instantly. "Oh no, poor girl. Don't say anything. The guy is a douche for letting you down."

Bonnie blinked a few times, surprised that Evelyn had instantly known what was bothering her. "Actually, I dumped him. But… how did you know?" Kai couldn't have said anything.

"Please, I have seen this look on too many girls already. It screams boy trouble." Her index finger circled around Bonnie's face a few times and the expression on her face made Bonnie laugh. The second Parker that made her mood light up today.

"Are you hungry, dear?" She turned around to Kai. "There are still some leftovers. I can go and get them ready for you."

"No mom, don't worry. I got it." Kai insisted for his mother to stay put and went to the kitchen. Evelyn and Bonnie sat down as they waited for Kai to return.

Bonnie watched the woman in front of her more carefully now. Nothing indicated that she had a serious health problem but the bags under her eyes and the pale skin. What the disease took from her she could easily make up with her emotional, caring expression.

"So, the guy you dumped. He was a douche, right? I don't want to insult anyone if he doesn't deserve it." Evelyn snickered.

"Don't worry, I think it won't hurt him if someone would call him that." Bonnie smiled at her.

When Bonnie looked back into Evelyn's eyes she was surprised to see her study her seriously. "You know, the pain will pass. One day you'll wake up and it will be gone. And then my dear Bonnie, remember that there is a whole world and that somewhere out there is someone that is more deserving of you."

Bonnie nearly cried again. What was it with these Parkers and their ability to look right through her and force out all the hidden feelings. Evelyn's advice was so loving that it reminded her of her own mother. Suddenly she thought that Evelyn and Abby might actually get along really well but when it hit her that her mother might never have a real chance to get to know the woman sitting in front of her… her chest clenched.

"Might I ask how you have been doing?" Bonnie silently asked and saw realization cross Evelyn's face.

"Ah, I see that my son has finally opened up to you." Her voice was still soft, not indicating anything like anger.

"I hope that is alright."

"More than that. I am actually relieved that he finally told someone. I feared that he would let himself get eaten up by this, like he usually does. I am very glad he has you to confide in, Bonnie." She smiled back at Bonnie. "And to your question, I am feeling pretty good right now. I am not at 100% and constantly tiered but that is not much of a change if you imagine I have to deal with this lot 24/7."

"I can imagine that they can be quite demanding." Bonnie said knowingly and the two shared a short laugh.

"You know, I am always so grateful to have you here. You bring such a nice dynamic to this house."

"I should think that there is enough dynamic here on its own. " Bonnie snickered.

"You're right, but it's still a little different with you here. Somehow… more complete." She gave her another smile. Bonnie was surprised that at how easily talking to this woman was. It reminded her of the way she used to feel with Kai, a few month back when she was just starting to get to know him. He clearly got his easy-going, talkative side from his mother.

After a while, Evelyn got up. "I have to excuse myself. I want to make sure my son doesn't burn down the house and after that I really need to get some rest."

"I'll come with you."

When the two women entered the kitchen, Bonnie saw Kai leaning onto the counters, the microwave next to him making weird sounds, and Jo sitting on the kitchen island in front of him talking to him in hushed tone.

"Josette!" Evelyn's voice turned sharp and when Jo heard it she instantly slipped off the counter and came to stand next to her brother, looking shameful. Kai on the other hand had a smug smile on his face clearly enjoying watching his sister getting warned by their mother instead of him. Jo didn't like his reaction at all and stomped on his foot.

"Ouch, what the hell, Jo?" Kai barked at her.

"You totally deserved that. Try and remember the next time you are malicious. That never ends well." Jo spit back and the two glared daggers at each other.

"Now that is enough, both of you." Evelyn stepped closer to the two. "I thought that at least the two of you wouldn't give me such a hard time. Stop with all the arguing," she looked at Jo when she said that in a parenting voice, a little hint of anger in it. "…and provoking." She now looked at Kai. "Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, mom." They both said at the same time. Both of them had the courtesy to look to the floor. The picture was so weird but also so normal. Two teenagers getting their asses handed to them by their mother. Two siblings fighting over nothing. A mom being annoyed by the futility of the situation. Oh, how much Bonnie loved this family. It was a whole new world to her. As an only child she never got to experience things like these, but she was glad that she at least got the chance to witness some kind of sibling life through this family.

"Good." Evelyn's voice went back to its normal warm tone. She was done playing bad cop. She caressed both her children's cheeks and then excused herself and left the room but not before she winked at Bonnie while passing her.

Like on clue, the microwave beeped and Kai turned to it. Getting out two plates and dipping food on both of them, Bonnie went to the nearby table and sat down. Jo offered her something to drink and then took the place next to her before Kai placed a deliciously smelling plate of roast pork with mashed potatoes in front of her.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"I think I haven't felt that stuffed since last year's Thanks Giving. " Bonnie was now lying on Kai's bed holding her stomach.

Kai, Jo and her had been spending what had seemed like hours in the kitchen, talking, joking and most importantly eating. Bonnie had taken a refill of her plate and then another and after that she had tried to eat the pudding that Kai had found somewhere in the fridge after Jo mentioned there still had to be some left.

Kai laughed. "You look like you're going to have a food-baby within the next hour."

"Right? I think I am going to name it Ronald McDonald or something. He has a bright future ahead of him."

Kai was standing by the closet. He had searched for another pillow because Bonnie had occupied all of his and claimed them as her own. When he finally managed to drag it out, he came back to her and slammed the pillow directly in her face.

Bonnie's mouth dropped open in fake shock and when he lay down next to her, she drew out one of the pillows form underneath her and hit him with it in the stomach making him growl.

"Oh, you play dirty." He claimed.

"I play dirty? What do you call your little sneak attack then?"

"Strategy?" He turned his face to her. It was already late and dark outside and the light from this lamp made one half of his face lay in shadow. With the mischief sparking in his eyes he seemed a little bit like a crazy person right now. A cute crazy-person, none the less.

Bonnie nuzzled deeper into the pillows. His bed was so comfortable, how had she missed this before? Her eyelids got heavier and heavier and for a second she thought she might not get them to reopen. The food coma taking its toll.

"Bon?" Kai stoke back a loose strain of hair behind her ear and Bonnie reopened her eyes.

"Hm."

"You fell asleep." His tone was humorous.

"No, I didn't." But Bonnie's yawn gave her away.

"Sure, you were gone for a whole minute there." Kai chucked. "Come on, roll over." He was pulling on the blanket underneath her, trying to tuck her in.

"No, I should get home." Another yawn escaped her.

"Yeah, right. You'll be asleep again in a second and I am too lazy to carry you all the way to your room. You are staying, so now roll over."

"But we have school tomorrow."

"Oh my god, you're right! The fact that we have to get up in the morning would present itself as a huge obstacle for you staying over." Even in her half asleep state she could hear his comment dripping of sarcasm.

"I don't have a change of clothes and I don't want everyone in school to think I am disgusting."

"A: Everyone already thinks that. Why do you think they all call you reek?" He earned a glare from Bonnie for that comment and he snickered before he continued. "And B: You can totally steal some of Jo's stuff. She is taller than you but lucky for you oversize is kind of fashionable."

Bonnie was too tired for this argument and Kai knew this. And if she was honest, there were no good reasons for her not to stay here. She would be alone at home, and she didn't like to admit it but she always felt better with someone else around the house at night. Plus, in her current state she could really use the company. And she could just borrow some of Jo's clothes for tomorrow. With her last energy she sat up and climbed out of Kai's bed.

"Alright, I'll stay. But you have to give me something to wear for the night."

"Top drawer."

Bonnie went to the dresser and pulled out a plain white t-shirt and sweatpants. She disappeared to the bathroom and changed. For her luck, Kai wasn't build like a bodybuilder or anything, so the clothes were almost fitting her petit form. She went back to his room, a little more energized cause of the water she had splashed into her face. He was now sitting at his desk, his laptop open in front of him. Bonnie took the direct route for his bed and let herself fall on it, the fatigue instantly rushing back.

She tried to get under the blanket but her body wouldn't listen to her anymore. Before she completely slipped into unconsciousness, she felt Kai lifting her up a bit and wrapping the blanket around her. The last thing she witnesses was him stroking her hair and whispering a 'good night.' Than it all went black.

 **Author's note: So I am trying to establish a new normal here. A post-Jeremy world for Bonnie. I hope you are going to like what I have in mind. And a little tease for the upcoming chapters: You might finally get to know what is actually going on with Jo. Remember she kind of had a issue in the earlier chapters? Gonna come back to that soon. Sorry for not mentioning it earlier it just didn't fit in the story. Hope you liked the chapter. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three: An Ordinary Mornin

Chapter Twenty-Three: An Ordinary Morning

Bonnie woke before the alarm clock in her phone got off. For a second she was disorientated. Slowly she turned her head around to take in her surroundings. It was a dark room, the sun was only just rising and the curtains shielded the room from the few sunbeams that were trying to light the world. That fact made it even harder for her to understand where exactly she was. When she had turned her head to the left completely, she spotted another figure lying next to her.

Jeremy? Her tired brain quickly came up with that solution but she instantly knew it wasn't him. Jeremy was in Mystic Falls and her… she was.

In Kai's room. The sleep that had been clouding her thoughts was blown away the instant she recognized the sleeping person next to her. She carefully shifted her body to lie on her side. Kai was lying on his back, his head tilted in her direction but his eyes were still closed and his evenly breathing soothed her confused mind. He looked so young in his sleep. The constant intensity in his expression wiped away from the rested state he was currently in. All his worries stored away in his mind making room for a more relaxing dream.

Bonnie felt the need to drive her fingers through his hair but resisted. She didn't want to disturb him in his rest, god knew he needed it. Not moving from her spot she spent a while just watching him in the dim light, lost in his features.

Gratitude flooded through her. He had been such a good friend to her yesterday and when he'd wake up she was going to make sure he knew that she was grateful. And she didn't even have to wait that long because like on cue her phone rang the stupid melody that always made her jump up in bed. Bonnie rushed to the end of the bed where she had put her stuff, including her phone, yesterday and silenced the stupid thing. She hadn't set the alarm clock to the right time, yesterday. It was still ringing at the time she would have to get up if she was at home and taking the bus to school. But Kai's home was closer to the school and that would have given her an extra few minutes to spend to doze.

She only hoped that Kai didn't wake up from her alarm and slowly turned around to see if he did. Sighing from relief she reset her alarm, slipped back under the blanket and nuzzled into the pillow lying on her side watching Kai. But his breathing had become uneven and the next second he stirred and groaned turning around to his side, his body now facing hers, eyes still closed.

"I don't think I woke up from an alarm clock in years." His voice was muffled and scratchy form sleep and it sounded so sweet to Bonnie's ear that she had to suppress a smile.

"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you so early." Bonnie apologized.

"Early?" He sounded confused and then in a smooth movement her roll to his other side and checked his phone, only to let himself fall back into the cushions and groan loudly. With eyes closed again, his left arm rested over his eyes.

"Ergh, Bonnie you're torturing me!"

Even though he couldn't see it she looked shamefully at him. She nuzzled deeper into the pillow to hid herself away, seeking shelter from the soft fabric if Kai decided on his kind of revenge for her.  
"I'm really sorry, I was too tired yesterday to reset my alarm. Believe me."

"You are so going to regret this."

Bonnie's eyes widened in mock-fear. She crawled closer to him, churning on his right arm. "Please, show mercy. I didn't do it on purpose." She then sat up and towered over him, still churning his arm and pleading over exaggeratedly, the kind of way she knew he wouldn't be able to endure too long. "Please, please, please."

"Oh, shut up." Kai snickered and pushed Bonnie away from him and she landed back in her old spot, chuckling herself.

Kai stretched on the spot and then turned back to face her. Then for the first time this morning Bonnie saw him open his eyes. If the day was more advanced, she was sure the light would reflect back from his bright eyes but now they held no color at all.

"How are you feeling?" He asked before she could direct the question to him. So she answered first.

"I'm feeling okay. How are you?"

"Awake. That's something."

A thought crossed her mind. "You said you haven't woken up from an alarm in year, how do you normally wake up?"

"I either wake up and stay up or not. It's simple like that." Through the dark she could see him giving her a smirk. That was nothing close to an answer.

"So, you just sleep until you wake up? How do you manage to get anything done then?" She thought of her own sleeping habits and the fact that if she didn't set an alarm she would probably be sleeping in until noon. But Kai did manage to get to school often enough for her to think he actually didn't do that.

"I usually don't have the best sleep. I have trouble falling asleep and when I finally manage to get some it doesn't last very long. I can always count on my inner clock to wake be up after a few hours. Even though I kind of only woke up once this night."

Kai sounded surprised himself. This at least gave Bonnie an inside on why he was ditching school so often. She imagined herself in his position, not ever getting enough sleep. She wouldn't mind showing up to some of the classes herself if it meant a few more hours of rest.

Her eyes had finally adjusted to the dim light and the rising sun from outside helped too. Kai had closed his eyes again but she knew he wasn't going to fall asleep again. It was just his tired state demanding to get heard. Within the next few minutes he was probably back to 100% and the more vulnerable and defenseless version of him would be replaced by the self-confident, guarded version. Bonnie took her chance and snuggled into his torso, her forehead resting against his right shoulder. To her surprise he not only endured her friendly touch but wrapped his left arm around her waist.

Oh, how good this felt. She hadn't realized how much he had craved this, how much a reassuring hug would help her in her state. The warmth spreading through her now fought back the tears forming again in her eyes. This whole Jeremy matter had left her so lonely, not only over the course of the past few days but for month. She had fought so hard to keep a relationship alive that was giving her nothing but pain and emptiness. No matter if she still had feelings for Jeremy or not, this was the best decision she could have made. She chose herself.

"Hey… shhh… it's all good." Kai softly caressed the back of her head. She hadn't realized that her body was shaking and the tears were silently rolling down her cheeks. Bonnie straightened her head and was now eyelevel with Kai, who looked at her with concern. But he was slightly smiling a reassuring smile and that kind of did the trick.

Her tears stopped as quickly as they had emerged and she laughed about her own stupidity to even let them out. With the back of her hand she wiped the remaining strains away.

"Ergh, god. I am such a whiner lately." She tried a laugh but it wasn't convincing so she snuffled to cover it up.

"But that's totally okay given what you're going through. Just let it all out, it's better that way… just t try keeping all the snort in. I'm not very good with human body fluids." Kai joked and Bonnie looked into his eyes with a smile on her face. She studied them closely. The blue/grey color of his eyes now clearly visible from the light. Those eyes that were always so guarded, only letting some emotions peek through. Eyes that could hold so much ice and anger towards people but were always light and pleasant when they were stuck on her. Such beautiful eyes.

Bonnie's smile had slowly faded away and she was now completely lost in the blue of his eyes. Every now and then she had to remind herself to swallow and blink because she could do nothing else but look into those eyes that seemed to hold the world in them. Such mystery and danger but also so alluring. They did weird things to her stomach.

Her brain was shut down to basic function. There was no room for any other action right now. She couldn't even decipher the expression on his face, only that his eyes never left hers. Her body seemed to react on instinct and she felt her right hand slowly move closer to his face, not knowing what its business was up there but she could not fight it. When it was near his shoulder Bonnie was snatched out of her trance.

Her second alarm went off and Bonnie blinked the veil away that had been covering her brain. Kai seemed to do the same and suddenly she realized how close the two of them had been. Bonnie rose instantly to get to her phone and turn the alarm off. But she didn't dare lying back down again. The moment was definitely over but the air still kind of held the mood from a few seconds ago. Bonnie shook her head to get a clear mind again. What had that been?

As she clumsily climbed out of the bed she supported herself unwittingly against his stomach and he groaned again and held his stomach.

"Oooh, oh,oh. Sorry. Argh, I'm just so clumsy."

He laughed. "Good that you notice."

She was now kneeling on the floor next to him and checked if he was really okay. When she did she came to stand awkwardly, not finding her balance at once. "Ehm, I guess I should see if Jo is already up and borrow some of her clothe before taking a quick shower." Bonnie left the room after he lazily gave her a smile and went to Jo's room. She pushed an ear to the door to hear if anyone inside was already moving and she heard some rustle so she knocked.

The sound of footsteps flushed to her ears and the next second she looked into the confused looking face of one Josette Parker. But the confusion didn't last very long as she smiled at Bonnie not at all surprised to see her this early in the morning wearing her brother's clothes.

"Ah, you're up. I was wondering if I should text you and see if you're already awake." Jo stepped back into her room and Bonnie followed but now it was her time to look confused.

As Jo took in her expression she elaborated. "Kai filled me in late last night. Ran into him when I was getting ready for bed. He said he made you stay over and that you needed to borrow some clothes this morning."

Bonnie formed a soundless 'Ah' with her mouth and came to stay next to Jo in front of her huge closet. Jo was already dressed and ready for the day. That made Bonnie wonder how early this girl was getting up. It only took her a few minutes to find something fitting. Jo's clothes were very girly and sweet or formal but Bonnie managed to find some plain while t-shirt and a cardigan to go with it. She would wear the jeans she had worn yesterday and with that her outfit for the day was saved.

After she went into the bathroom and showered she came to the conclusion that this weird moment she had just shared with Kai was due to both of their brains not being at full capacity. They had both just woken up and it always took her a few minutes to fully be awake. Yeah, that was it.

She got ready in no time and when she crossed Kai's room the door was wide open but he was nowhere to be found. From downstairs she heard people talking and recognized his voice under them. Making her way to the kitchen where the sounds seemed to originate from she found Jo and Kai. Jo was rushing around the kitchen, seemingly searching for something and Kai only leaned onto the counters being pushed aside every now and then because Jo needed to look inside one of them.

"Wouldn't kill you if you would help me." Jo angrily said to him.

"Nope, told you in advance that the wondertwins are your field to work." was his response.

"Don't matter, I got it." She triumphantly hold two baby bottles in front of his face and turned to a machine that seemed to be for heating milk. Kai rolled his eyes when he spotted Bonnie and she was suppressing a laugh. Apparently his cute half-asleep state of mind had changed into grumpiness.

"Want something to eat Bon? I was about to make some waffles." Kai asked as she came to stand next to them.

On cue her stomach grumbled and Kai laughed not needing to hear her answer. Bonnie insisted on helping him even though he said there was no need to but she didn't want to just stand around and watch him do it. She had warned him that she wasn't the best cook but he reassured her that there wasn't too much she could screw up.

Over the course of the next few minutes Kai and Bonnie made a tone of waffles. Whenever there was one ready one Parker sibling showed up and asked if he or she could have one. In between making them Bonnie managed to snatch one for her and Kai. Even Briana, who was as cheerful as ever and as excited as ever to see Bonnie, shyly tapped Kai's shoulder while Bonnie held her up and shyly asked him if she could have the next waffle in a shape of the cookie monster.

Kai gave her an annoyed look but went to a cupboard over at the other side of the kitchen and grabbed another waffle iron that would imprint a cookie monster shape onto the waffle. Briana rewarded him with the brightest smile.

"See, told you all you had to do is ask." Bonnie hugged Briana tight before she let her down so she could sit at the table.

Because he didn't care, Kai made a few more of the cookie monster waffles and placed them on a plate. The last of the Parker siblings to come into the kitchen was Melinda. She didn't greet any of them and went straight for the waffles.

"Ergh, didn't you make normal waffles? I don't wanna eat these cookie monster things." Melina bitched in an arrogant voice.

"I did but now there are only these left. Take one or leave it, I don't care." Kai answered as he got the last of the waffles out of the iron. Melinda rolled her eyes but Kai didn't see it. She took a waffle and made her way to the table to join Bellamy, Briana and Jo.

"And where the hell is the syrup?" Melinda stopped halfway to the table and turned back around to Kai.

"Where it's always at. Get it yourself if you want some, I am not your little servant." Kai said without turning. Bonnie could feel he grew more annoyed with his sister by the second.

"Well mom always prepares everything in advance. Just saying?" Melinda grumbled making a detour to the cupboard where the syrup was in.

"Mel?" Kai turned around to face her. "You're doing it again."

"I'm doing what?" Melinda spit out arrogantly.

"You're being a bitch."

Melinda shortly glared at him and then paraded to the table. Bonnie watched her as she sat down. Out of all the Parker kids Melinda might be her least favorite one.

"That one is a sunshine!" Bonnie whispered to Kai, making sure Melinda didn't hear her.

"You have no idea." Kai shook his head.

"Is this your normal morning routine? Everyone gathering and walking around like crazy?"

"Maybe for them, I usually stay out of this family-crowd thing. It's just too much in the morning."

"Alright, everyone under 4'11'' follow me!" Evelyn's head peeked into the kitchen and Bellamy, Melinda and Briana hopped off their seats and went after their mother. Getting their stuff and getting into their shoes and coats, the younger Parkers rushed out the front door.

Evelyn came back into the kitchen once more. "Thanks a lot to you three for handling everything this morning." She kissed Jo, who was still sitting at the table, on the head and rushed to Bonnie and Kai to give them a peck on the cheek, smiling before she went out the side entrance and headed to her car.

"Hey Jo, can I get a lift to school?" Joey cried from the lobby, not bothering to come inside.

"Actually I am catching a ride with Kai today, but you can come long." Jo yelled back.

"Oh, are you?" Kai asked his twin, not seeming like he knew about Jo's plans.

"My car needs to get fixed it don't want to risk not being able to start the engine." And when she saw Kai's expression she added. "Come on, we all have the same destination."

Kai shrugged. "Alright, but I swear to god if your boots are muddy again I'll kick you out mid-drive!" He screamed for Joey to hear him. That accusation lured Joey back into the kitchen.

"That was one time and I couldn't even do anything about it, it was a field trip. What should I have done? Keep my shoes hidden in the forest?" Joey argued.

"Well, that's a thought." Kai suggested.

"Come on, don't be so fussy. It's just a car. If it gets dirty you can always clean it." Bonnie teased him on purpose.

Kai turned around to glare at her, his index finger pointed at her as he started talking. "You don't get to say anything. You're the reason why I am already up and have to deal with this whole mess of family in the first place. So shut up. You owe me!"

The way he said it, kind of serious but not, made Jo and Bonnie crack up. They spend a few minutes laughing and Kai only rolled his eyes at them. Joey had a triumphant smile on his face, raveling in the feeling of winning an argument with Kai, even if it was only because of the help of another person but so be it.

Kai shook his head at the lot of them. "Let's just go."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The following nights and mornings the whole scenario repeated itself. Bonnie and Kai had decided that Bonnie would stay with the Parkers for as long as her mom was out of town. She only went home after school to grab some stuff and call her mom to tell her she was going to spend the next few days with Kai. To her surprise her mother didn't have anything against it. On the contrary she seemed relieved to know her daughter wasn't going to be alone in her current state.

Bonnie took her moms car, which she had left for her, and went back to the Parkers, spending her evening and nights with Kai and Jo. In the mornings they caught a ride together to school. Repeating everything on the next day and the day after that. During this whole time she didn't get a single peek at Joshua Parker. Bonnie learned that he was out of town for some kind of business trip but didn't get any details because Kai just didn't care enough to know them.

Once during math class, they had to do partner work and Connor had instantly wanted to partner up with her. She had nothing against it but she had hoped she could do the work with Kai because she knew he would have it ready in no time and then they could just chill. But now she was going to do them with Connor and that was okay, they had been partners in math class before. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Liza partnering up with Kai on the other end of the room, normally she would work with Perry but he was still out sick.

Connor had followed Bonnie's gaze and after a second turned back to her.

"So, you and the Parker kids, you're really close now?" he asked.

Bonnie was surprised he would mention something like this. "Yeah, they really grew on me. Who would have guessed?"

Connor nodded, not looking directly at Bonnie. Something was going on in his head Bonnie could see and if she had been generally in a better place she might have sorted it out but right now she trying to concentrate on the task at hand and stop looking over to Kai and Liza.

"What did Kai say about this whole breakup mess?" Connor stuck to his previous topic.

"Ehm, he was really supportive." Bonnie felt weird talking to Connor about this. She tried to refocus his attention to the task.

"Oh." Connor seemed surprised and for a second something flickered in his eyes. Was it disappointment? Or even…anger? "Ah, I see. Thought that maybe you wouldn't want to tell him at all."

Bonnie's expression turned questioning. "Why wouldn't I?"

Connor hesitated to answer her for a moment and then he chose his following words carefully. "I didn't know you were close like that. I mean you don't even know him that long. And I think that maybe… no one would blame you if you decided to keep that information to yourself."

What was going on with the boys in her life lately? Fist Jeremy being all strange and now Connor talking about weird things. "But we are that close. And I told _you_ guys so why not tell him. I don't see a reason why I shouldn't."

"Because he is not honest to you." Connor's voice suddenly turned angry and Bonnie's eyes widened.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound mad. I just… forget what I just said. You are right there is no reason."

"No, please enlighten me. I'd like to know what you mean by him not being honest." Bonnie's gaze became interrogating.

Hesitantly Connor elaborated. "I don't think that he is a true friend to you Bonnie, that's all. One day, when he is bored with you, he will stop paying attention and throw you away and then you are going to suffer and I just don't want to see that. I don't trust him and maybe you were better off not trusting him either."

Bonnie's mouth was pressed into a thin line. "Why in the word does everyone think they know more about my relationship with Kai then I do? I am no fool; I would never let him in if I thought he wasn't being truthful." She said calmly but with a lot of stress on the meaning of her words. She didn't want to but she was starting to be mad at Connor for his accusations. She knew he was only worried but that didn't give him the right to interfere with her friendships.

Luckily Connor picked up on her mood swing and backed off, keeping his focus to the exercises in of front them.

This conversation had been weird. She had no idea Connor had such reservations about Kai, and why he bothered at all about her friendship with him was beyond Bonnie's reach. She shook her head and waved the thought away.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next day they took Bonnie's car to school. Jo had needed to take Kai's because she had some kind of appointment after school and Kai surprisingly gave her the keys to his car without a second thought.

Bonnie was now waiting for Kai in the parking lot of the school. He had suggested to go get something to eat after school to properly celebrate the end of their sleepover arrangement. Bonnie's mom was going to be back tonight and she was both excited for that and a little sad because that would mean she wouldn't get to see Kai as often as in the last days. She was still very proud of herself for managing to get Kai to school for most of his classes this week. She had a good impact on him.

The passenger door got opened and Kai slipped in. "Ready to rumble?" he asked with a smile.

"Sure! Buckle up!" Bonnie started the engine and drove into the center of the town. On their way there they had decided to try this new Indian restaurant. Even though Bonnie didn't like spicy food Kai had persuaded her by telling her she would surely find something not as spicy.

Now that her ordered meal had arrived she knew that there was no way of getting it all down. She could practically smell the curry in the air but she still managed to get half of her meal down. It wasn't even bad but after a while she just felt her mouth burning and no water could calm it down. Kai only laughed at her.

"You are in a good mood today." Bonnie noticed.

"Well, it is a nice day. I am just really happy to have my bed all to myself tonight. No one spreading their legs over 2 thirds of the mattress."

"Oooh no, I don't do that!" Bonnie defended herself.

"Yeah, you do!"

"No, I don't!"

"Do you have some kind of superpower that allows you to watch yourself while sleeping? Because if you don't than there is no way for you to tell." Kai said and Bonnie opened her mouth to respond to that but she couldn't think of the right argument.

"Ha, see!" Kai pointed out, knowing he had won the argument and a smug smile played around his lips. Bonnie only glared at him.

Before she could think of anything to say about any of his sleeping habits Kai's phone that was lying on the edge of the table rang. Kai looked down at the screen but frowned as he didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?" He picked up the call.

After a short silence he answered. "Yeah, that's me." Bonnie couldn't hear the person on the other end because it was too loud in the restaurant and because she didn't want to seem like she was listening in she tried another piece of her food.

But then she noticed Kai suddenly looking up, all the good mood wiped off his face in an instant. Her eyes found his and she realized that he was sitting on his chair completely stiff. His eyes widened. A bad feeling went through Bonnie's stomach. This was no good news. Her worried eyes searched Kai's face for any hint.

"How? What…?" He couldn't form a real sentence and the person on the other end interrupted him before he could try a third attempt at his question.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Thanks." Kai's voice had lost any tone and his face was wiped of all emotion except one: fear.

"What's going on?" Bonnie instantly asked as he hung up. She grew more worried by the second. Was it something about his mom?

"It's Jo… she's in the hospital."

 **Author's note: This chapter turned out to be a little different than I anticipated it. I just got carried away in the beginning and then I didn't know how to make it shorter so you have to wait for the big Jo reveal for the next chapter, sorry. Hope you sill liked this one. Was kinda fun to write. Added a little Connor jealousy here, not quite sure yet how much this is going to play into the overall plot but I thought it was fitting in pretty good. So, see you next time, hopefully.**


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four: The Hiding Game

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Hiding Game

"Hey, I am searching for my sister, Josette Parker." A little out of breath because they had been rushing to get to the third floor after being sent here by another nurse at the lobby of the hospital, Kai asked the nurse behind the desk about the whereabouts of his twin.

Kai hadn't said much to Bonnie about what happened and why Jo had been delivered here. Some of the things he didn't know himself, like what happened exactly and how her condition was. He had only said this much: Jo had been in an accident and their parents couldn't know about this until he made sure of her condition. Bonnie hadn't asked too many questions because first, the Parker-twins' relationship was complex and anyone trying to figure it out completely, was going to realize he had no idea what the two of them were, after a few days, and second she remembered that Jo was driving around in Kai's car, maybe it was some kind of cover up mission they were trying to achieve here.

After Kai had filled her in on the little information, Bonnie had instantly offered to drive him to the hospital. For one because this was the fastest way and also because she was worried sick about Jo herself. Getting a vague statement like 'your sister is in the hospital because she had an accident, come quick' would freak anyone out. And Jo was her friend; she didn't want her to get hurt.

The nurse pressed a button on the keyboard in front of her and searched for Jo in the system. She was painfully slow doing it, so much so that Bonnie wanted to yell at her. If she already felt like this she couldn't even imagine what Kai must be feeling right now. With a side glance she saw his intense mien; he has nervously tapping his fingers onto the desk, ready to strangle the woman if she didn't hurry up.

"She is in room 387, but she is still with the doctor so please wait until you are cleared to enter." The woman finally explained and in the next second Bonnie and Kai were on their straight way to search for room 387. The rooms along the floor had number over 400 and the further they got into the corridor the smaller the numbers got. They passed normal hospital rooms, every now and then a door was open and Bonnie could peek inside: two or three beds inside, a bunch of devises attached to people or just standing next to empty beds, a few visitors heading into the rooms and nurses caring for the patients. Somehow the fact that they apparently were on a ward where it was comparatively calm made Bonnie relax a little. Jo couldn't be hurt that much if they brought her up here.

But then suddenly when they reached room 390 they stood in front of a big half-glassy door. To open it you had to press a button on the right and in big, bold red letters Bonnie read 'Intense Care' at the top of it and her heart missed a beat.

She saw Kai hesitate to press the button. He swallowed hard and only stared through the glassy part of the door into the hectic corridor in front.

"Bonnie, what if…" he started but she hurried to cut him off. She couldn't let him finish his thought, not for his or her sake.

"Let's not jump to conclusions." She took his hand and with shaking hands she pushed the button and the doors gave way for them to pass through.

None of the nurses or doctors looked their way when they stepped inside and slowly made their way to room 387. They could see it already when they stepped inside. The door of the room was to their left, no window or anything that could give away the condition of the person inside. On the opposite side of the corridor were a few chairs lining up. They weren't occupied and since the nurse said they needed to wait until they were cleared to get in, Bonnie ushered them both to the chairs and made Kai sit.

He did everything she wanted from him after that without second thought. He took off his coat because in here it was pretty warm and they had no idea how long this would take. He waited when she went to get some water and even drank a few sips when she returned to offer it to him. He was lost inside some kind of trance, his thoughts probably offering up scenario after scenario of Jo being injured, one worse than that, never letting his gaze shift from the door in front of him.

At some point he had reclaimed her hand but throughout these cruel minutes of waiting he didn't say a word and that was the worst thing. Kai was a person with the ability to babble on and on and on, no matter if the person in front of him was interested or not. The rare times she had seen him silent like this were never good. Even when he told her about his mother's condition he said a few things but right now… this complete silence…

In that moment something in Kai lost the ability to keep his attention stuck on the door. His head fell down and he leaned his upper body forward so he could place his elbow onto his thigh, his gaze now turned to the floor.

Bonnie shifted a little closer to him. Her knees now touched his right leg and she placed her right hand on top of the one already holding her left, squeezing lightly. She wished she could do anything for him right now but there was nothing she could do, and she knew. So as a last attempt to give him a little comfort she placed her head on his shoulders and let it rest there.

They both winced when the door of room 387 got opened and two figures dressed in white coats, a man and a woman, and a third figure, a woman, dressed in light green stepped outside. The women exchanged some words before the nurse headed in the right direction and the woman turned to her male colleague. They both looked into something that seemed like a medical file and then the woman nodded in their direction.

The male doctor then started walking in their direction. "Kai Parker?"

"Yes." Kai and Bonnie rose from their seats and met the doctor half way. The man was about 50 and the grey strands in his hair had taken the upper hand in his former naturally dark hair. The doctor offered them his hand and they both shook it. Bonnie's left hand was still entwined with Kai's.

"Hello, I am Dr. Washington. Me and my colleague were just talking to your sister."

"How is she?" Kai's voice sounded strangled.

"She is awake, her condition is stable." Bonnie and Kai both sighed heavily from relieve. Dr. Washington continued. "She lost quite a lot a blood and we had to give her pain medication but she is going to be okay."

"Can I see her?" Kai asked.

Dr. Washington looked from him to Bonnie and back, his expression unreadable. "Yes, but you both need to be extra careful. She needs rest."

Kai nodded and wanted to head to the door before Dr. Washington stopped him. "One more thing, you were the only one in her emergence contact list but I need to inform your parents…"

The doctor looked at Kai and tilted his head. Something about his expression reminded Bonnie of someone that knew a secret about Kai and wanted him to know about it, pressure him into making a mistake. For a few seconds they were only looking at one another and then Kai nodded. Dr. Washington flashed a faint smile and patted Kai's shoulder before he left him and Bonnie alone.

Without losing any more time Kai went to the door and without knocking opened it, stepping halfway in. It was a rather dark room, no windows and the sound of different kind of medical devices filling the room. Jo was sitting on the only bed in the room right in front of them. She was wearing hospital clothes and her long dark hair was held back by a loose ponytail.

When the door opened her face lifted to the door. Spotting her brother in the doorframe she tried for a small smile but when she saw the questioning expression on his face she burst into tears.

Bonnie watched Kai's expression change from worried to dismayed. He let out a breath and then stepped into the room, giving Bonnie enough space to enter herself. Kai headed straight to his sisters side, placing himself on the side of the bed and hugging her close. Jo kept on crying heavily, her face now hidden from Bonnie by Kai's. He held her tight, brushing her hair lightly with his right hand, his left hand resting on her back. Jo's right arm wrapped around Kai's neck, while her left arm rested between their bodies, wrapped in cast.

Bonnie stepped a little closer but gave the two space. They had clearly communicated about something the second Kai had entered and she had no business disturbing this moment now. Without a clue about what was actually going on right now, she waited by the end of the bed watching the siblings hug each other. Kai's eyes were closed now as he let his twin sob into his chest. He looked even tenser then before. Shouldn't he be more relieved that his sister was doing okay? But Jo clearly wasn't okay, if it was nothing physical than maybe mental? What happened to her?

Finally the sobbing sounds receded and Jo slowly unclamped herself from Kai. His hands still rested against the side of her head though and his eyes were looked to hers.

"I'm so sorry." He said and his voice was so broken as if he had been affected by that accident as well. But Sorry? For what?

Jo had to fight back another swell of tears and she swallowed heavily. She couldn't respond to that so she only nodded. Bonnie saw some scratches on Jo's face. Then her gaze found Bonnie's and she turned her face to her, speaking her first words. "You're here." Her face and also her voice indicated relief and gratitude and Bonnie stepped closer to stand directly next to where Kai was sitting on the bed.

"Yeah, I was with him when he got the call. I just had to know you were okay." Now Bonnie placed herself next to Kai onto the bed and took Jo's hand that wasn't wrapped in cast. The gesture seemed to comfort Jo because she mustered a small smile.

"What happened" Kai finally asked.

Jo breathed in deeply before she started. "I was on my way to the doctor for the appointment. I was already late because Mrs. Vanderson wanted to talk to me about the next prom and I had to get rid of her first. So that I wouldn't be late I wanted to take the interstate. At the crossroad right before the ramp I had to wait at the traffic lights and when they turned green some car crashed into the passenger side. The car got pushed in the middle of the road and another car bumped into the trunk. The first car took off but because of the impact I broke my arm but I instantly knew something was wrong. I just prayed that… that…" her voice broke again and tears started rolling down her cheeks. Kai patted the back of her head until she was calm enough again to finish her story. "I knew when I saw the blood on the seat that it was too late, that I had lost the baby."

Bonnie breathed in. Baby. Jo was pregnant. And due to the accident she lost it. Now it all made sense. Kai's fierce comments about Jo's weight all the time. Their whispering. Jo's outburst. Kai's reaction. The sibling's silent conversation right when Kai had entered. He had silently asked about the baby. He had had known. Bonnie suddenly felt all kinds of bad for the girl in front of her. She squeezed her hand tight.

"Jo, I am so sorry. I didn't know, otherwise…" Bonnie felt bad that she didn't instantly went to comfort the devastated girl when she entered the room.

"Don't." Jo squeezed her hand back. "No one knew, except Kai and I asked him not to tell anyone. I'm just glad that you are here right now."

"Of course." Bonnie managed a smile. She had no idea what to do except smile and show Jo that she was there for her. She had never been in a situation like this before, none of them had. Jo placed her head back onto Kai's shoulder, looking exhausted. Kai tilted his head so that his cheek rested against Jo's hair. Looking at them in a bad time like this, Bonnie only now realized how close they really were, how tight the bond between the siblings was. It was beyond explainable.

All their attentions were raised by the door being opened in one swing. Evelyn Parker stood in the door frame looking only at Jo. Bonnie rose from her spot and took a few steps back so Evelyn would have the space to properly take care of her daughter. Jo gave her a pleading look and Bonnie knew what she wanted to say. 'Please, don't say anything.' And Bonnie wouldn't.

But apparently she didn't need to because when Evelyn Parker stood on the other side of Jo's bed and looked down at her daughter, who desperately tried to hide her sorrow form her mother, and after making sure Jo was alright she asked. "What about the baby?"

Jo and Kai both looked at her with shock. "How… how did you know?" Jo stammered.

Evelyn's still concerned gaze turned softer. "I am your mother, darling. How could I not know?"

Jo fought the tears in her eyes for a few seconds but she lost the fight. Once again her body shook from the pain inside her coming to the surface and Bonnie's heart clenched.

"Oh, god no." Evelyn sat next to Jo now and hugged her daughter to herself.

Bonnie realized Kai was now standing next to her at the end of the bed. He was facing his mother and sister and waited with anxious eyes for the reaction their mother would show about lying to her about the pregnancy.

"Are you mad?" Jo managed to get out between sobs.

Evelyn looked at her daughter with so much admiration. "No, honey I am not mad. I was always hoping you would finally open up to me and we could find a solution together but I figure you and Kai did that all by yourselves, hm?" Still padding Jo's back Evelyn's gaze turned to her son.

"Don't blame him, it was all me. I asked him not to tell you." Jo defended her twin but there was no need to. Evelyn wasn't mad at Kai either.

"I don't blame any of you. I just want to know what the two of you were thinking. How would you have hidden this from us?"

"You know the exchange student plan for the summer?" Jo asked and Bonnie witnessed the moment when the penny dropped with Evelyn.

"You got to be kidding me. Which smart ass came up with that idea?" Evelyn raised her eyebrows at Kai.

"Don't look at me, this was actually professional advice." Kai said.

"I was never planning on taking those classes. It would have been the official excuse. I went to see this councilor, specialized in teenage pregnancies, where the kids are afraid to tell their parents. She advised me if I was going to keep this a secret to you I should get out of town and get into these programs that are offered by the state. But I knew I could either never come back to the family if dad found out I had a baby and he would have found out because, how could I have explained living in another city? So I took the advice and came up with the idea of this summer classes in England. There I would have the best opportunities for me and the baby."

Bonnie blinked, impressed at how far Jo was willing to go to keep this a secret, literally. Evelyn seemed to have some other reaction to Jo's story.

"Who knew about this?" he asked, serious all of a sudden.

"Kai knew, that's it."

Kai and Jo exchanged a short glance. It was barely noticeable but of course Evelyn picked up on it. She looked from one child to the other but Jo and Kai both kept a convincing pokerface.

"Granny?" Evelyn's voice tumbled in a mixture of disbelief, frustration and anger.

Both her children kept quiet and that was what gave them away.

"I can't believe this." Evelyn got up from the bed and paced the room. "My own mother knew about the pregnancy and I didn't? Of course, why else would you choose summer school in England. You've been there a thousand times already and never seemed to be too thrilled about the place. How could I have been so blind?" She was really angry now, Bonnie had never seen her like that before. But if she was angry at her kids, herself or her mother was hard to tell. She resumed "How did you think you could pull this off? You can't just leave the country like that and stay with your grandmother. There are laws. Did any one of you even really thought this through? This plan is full of flaws."

"Mom, we're sorry." Jo tried to reach for her arm, but Evelyn kept walking around, lost in thought. She didn't reply anything only constantly shaking her head. Her right hand was pressed over her mouth, seeming like she wanted to keep the thoughts roaming her head from exiting.

"How did you think this would work? Didn't you think about the fact that we might wonder why you were spending so much time in England and not coming back? We would have come for you and then there would have been no hiding."

"Yeah, but then I would have been with granny." Jo looked down at her fingers nervously playing with the blanket. "Dad wouldn't have done anything if I were with her."

Today was the first time Bonnie had heard of Kai's grandmother and the way they were talking about her she seemed like some kind of woman scaring Joshua Parker, or why else would the mighty family patriarch be powerless when he found a pregnant Jo with her grandmother in England?

After a while Jo asked the question that stopped Evelyn's movement, the question that was lingering in the room the moment Evelyn entered. "Are you gonna tell dad?"

Next to her Kai stiffened a little, anticipating his mother's response. The two would now find out if all their scheming and hiding would have been for nothing. Evelyn's expression turned a little bit more understanding and suddenly she sighed heavily, all anger gone from her face. She slowly went back to standing next to Jo and took her hand. "No, I am not going to tell him. What happened, happened. But there is no need to fill him in on this, he would just be upset and there is no need for that any longer." Her thumb caressed the back of Jo's hand as she visibly relaxed. "I'll go call him and inform him about your accident, he won't find out about the baby." And with a look to Jo and then Kai she added. "I promise."

It was stunning to see the dynamics of this family. It was so complicated and divided with so many different bonds but somehow it was built on one common fact: Joshua Parker's ways of handling things involving his family were more than questionable. Seeing Evelyn Parker agree to that fact, if not verbally then with her actions, made sense at the same time as it didn't. Fitting for this family, Bonnie thought and was once happy for her simple mother-daughter-grandmother family.

"I'll go call your dad now." Evelyn gave Jo a kiss on the head and then came to stand in front of Kai, kissing his cheek. To Bonnie's surprise she turned to her and caressed her cheek as well, the woman hadn't really taken any notice in Bonnie's presence before but apparently she had been very aware of her being there. "Good to have you here, sweetie." She said and after that she headed to the door, searching for her phone in her purse.

When the door closed behind her Kai and Jo both sighed heavily, Kai next to her visibly relieved.

"Wow, this was kind of easy." Jo claimed with something of a smile forming on her cheeks.

"Yeah, thanks to Bonnie." Kai stated.

"What? I haven't done anything."

"You were here, that's enough." And now Jo really smiled at her.

"If you weren't we would have gotten the lecture of the century." Kai walked to the end of the bed and leaned onto it facing his sister.

"I doubt that it would have been that hard. I mean it your mom; I can't imagine her being mad at any of you." Bonnie thought back to all those time she had seen the woman. Always with warmth in her eyes and nice words on her lips.

"Oh, she can be furious. People never believe us but she has got some temper. It doesn't happen very often but when she does get mad… you better run and hide." Jo said in an almost joking voice and Kai laughed a humorless laugh. It was hard for Bonnie to imagine this nice woman getting mad at any given time. She always imagined raising this many kids made her the most relaxed person on the planet but apparently even super-moms had their limits. Understandably so.

The door got opened once again and Dr. Washington stepped into the room.

"Greetings. I see you are taken good care off, Josette." He smiled to Bonnie and Kai and Jo smiled as well.

"Yeah, I am glad they are here."

"I am sorry but I have to do one more test on your sister." He turned to Jo. "You want them to stay or should they wait outside."

Jo looked conflicted for a second but then she asked the two of them to wait outside and they willingly gave her the privacy. Outside the room Bonnie headed straight to the chairs they had occupied earlier but Kai didn't sit next to her but stood right in front of her seat. Compared to earlier he looked way calmer but instead of fear being the primary emotion covering his face it was now sorrow. Bonnie reached for his hands.

"Hey, why don't you sit for a moment? Calm down and rest. It's been some intense few hours." When Kai didn't move to sit next to her, she squeezed his hands and gently pulled on his arms to maneuver him into the seat. He didn't put up much of a fight, probably because he was too exhausted to do that now, and when he finally sat next to her he only smiled at her without managing to make it look genuine and leaned back into the seat, saying nothing.

Bonnie turned to him, sitting on her right leg to have a better view of him. She didn't say anything either, even though she had so many thoughts roaming in her head that she wanted to let out but she felt that Kai just needed this moment of silence to recover. So she only sat there, watching him watch the ceiling and waited for him to signal her that he was willing to listen to her.

For a few minutes they sat like that, no awkwardness involved, but then he turned his head that was resting against the wall behind him and looked right into Bonnie's eyes.

"I'm sorry, for dragging you into this." were his first words.

Bonnie frowned. "There is nothing to be sorry for. I want to be here. Jo is my friend and even if I wouldn't have been there when you got the call I'd still be here when I found out." She grabbed his hand to underline her statement and make him see her sincerity.

"But you have your own issues right now…"

Bonnie interrupted and they both talked at the same time. "Still, I need to be here for Jo now and for you…"

"…and I couldn't be there for you the way I should have."

"Don't worry about it."

"No, I promise you I'll do better, it's just today was…"

"Shut up, Kai." And surprisingly he did, so she resumed. "You have been the best friend to me the past few days and even though I am not feeling 100% yet, I am better. Thanks to you and Jo and your mom… You don't owe me anything. It is my turn to be there for you now."

A short laugh escaped Kai and he seemed a little better.

"By the way, how come you are Jo's only emergency contact? Aren't the parents usually the ones being informed?" Bonnie asked, the thought crossed her mind earlier and now that she had the time she wanted to ask.

"I had my emergency contact list changed a few months ago. Jo is the only one on there and when she told me about the pregnancy we went and changed hers too. We couldn't risk it, if anything happened to her and mom and dad would find out by accident that she was pregnant we could have forgotten all about the plan."

"Wow, you really thought this through."

"Actually, no. I was never completely okay with the idea but Jo needed a plan and that was the only one we got." He stopped himself with a wave of his hand. "Doesn't matter now, does it?"

Bonnie's hand found the side of his face and she brushed over the short hair at the side of his head with her fingers. He briefly closed his eyes and to her surprise he not only let her do this but he also leaned into her touch, rewarding her once more with the sight of his more vulnerable side. He was hurting. His sister had been in an accident and she had lost her child. The child, his niece or nephew that he was desperately trying to protect from its grandfather. And all the effort was for nothing. By a force no one could have predicted or prevented the two hadn't managed to guarantee the kid a safe delivery into this world. Of course he would struggle with this.

"Are you going to be okay?" Bonnie asked and Kai looked at her.

He didn't answer her instantly but when he did his words came out strongly. "Yes, I will." And Bonnie believed him. Kai wasn't a person to crumble right away, he was a strong person.

"You should go home, Bonnie." He said with a lot of caring in his voice. He turned to the side to mirror her posture and Bonnie's hand fell back into her lap.

"No, I am good. I want to make sure Jo is okay. I wanna be here for you both."

"No, seriously. Your mom is coming home tonight and if you're not there she is going to freak out."

"I'll call her."

He huffed over her stubbornness. "For real, you should be with her. My mom is probably going to leave soon too. She can't leave the kids all alone and I am going to stay here with Jo and the most thrilling thing that is going to happen then is that we are probably going to sleep. There is nothing you can do right now. Jo is already beyond glad you were there and she is okay. If you really need to you can come back tomorrow to check in with her but right now… you should take care of yourself. Get something to eat, get some sleep." His voice was so soft. He didn't push her to go but he reasoned with her and Bonnie had to admit he was right.

"And who is going to take care of you?" she tried her last argument.

With one hand Kai gestured around the corridor. "Look around you, Bonnie. This is a hospital. Enough people here to take care of me. Not that I need that."

Now it was Bonnie's time to huff and shake her head. "Alright, but I'll wait until Doctor McDreamy is done doing his tests. I wanna say good bye to Jo AND be sure that I'll be back tomorrow."

He tiredly smiled at her, leaning the side of his head against the wall again. "Sure."

And then it hit her again. This feeling from a few days ago. His eyes, so full of hurt and tiredness, claimed her attention and something in her heart answered to the look on his face. This feeling seemed familiar but still she couldn't place this. Her breathing picked up a little and she saw his vision drop to her mouth for a moment. Bonnie wanted to be closer to him, wished that there wasn't this stupid armrest separating them. But she could still lean over it to touch him, to caress his cheek and press her forehead to his. Just a tilt of her head would give him access to press her lips…

"Why are the two of you sitting outside here?" Evelyn Parker's voice interrupted her thoughts.

NO! This was definitely not happening to her. Bonnie blinked the feeling away, breaking out of her daydream. In her head the thoughts were running a marathon. God, no, this wasn't happening again. She wasn't going to regress to her dumb junior high years of admiring him. She promised herself not to be one of those girls Kai Parker wrapped around his finger. Plus, they were friends, WHAT WAS SHE THINKING? Nothing apparently, at least not with her brain.

"The doctor's with Jo. She asked us to wait outside." Kai answered his mother, his voice strangely unaffected by what had just happened.

No. Nothing had happened. Nothing will ever happen. She was just freshly broken-up and still not over Jeremy. She wasn't one of those girls who couldn't be alone, who needed a boy by their side to feel good. She has never been. The other day she had blamed her stupid reaction to his eyes on her tiredness and now… it was probably the fact that both their feelings had been all over the place today and that the other one had offered some kind of safe haven. It is easy to get confused in an extreme situation like this.

"You can get back in now." Dr. Washington disturbed her thoughts and Kai and Evelyn were already headed for the door. Bonnie followed only a step behind.

"What was that about?" Evelyn asked Jo.

"Oh, he needed to take a blood sample to figure out some kind of medication thing." Jo answered.

Evelyn nodded, seemingly content with that answer. Then Bonnie stepped forward. "Hey, is it okay if I get going? My mom's coming home in a few minutes."

"Yes, of course." Jo immediately said and Bonnie leaned down to give her friend a long hug, no too tight to not hurt her.

"Listen, if you need anything just call or text or whatever. I'll be here in a heartbeat, okay? And I'll be back tomorrow to check in on you." Bonnie said near Jo's ear and she could feel the brunets head nodding. When she drew back from her Bonnie made sure to peck her on the cheek before she turned to Evelyn.

"Bonnie, love. Thank you so much for taking care of them." Evelyn hugged her.

Before she could go to Kai to say goodbye to him, she smiled at Evelyn who now seemed to be back to her sweet and understanding self in comparison to the outraged version from earlier. Bonnie crossed the space to Kai with a few paces and got to her tiptoes to embrace him in a tight hug.  
Kai leaned down to her and hugged her back. It took a while before either of them was willing to let the other go but Kai was the first one to loosen his grip.

"Keep me posted. Text me, call me, doesn't matter. If I don't get an update from you at on regular basis you should hope you've fallen asleep because this is the only excuse I will accept." Bonnie nearly threatened him.

"Okay." Was Kai answer but Bonnie could never be sure with him so she raised both her eyebrows and pursing her lips, demanding more than just an 'okay'. Kai sighted, slightly annoyed, and in a tone a five year old would have used he said. "I promise."

Bonnie smiled and patted his shoulder. "Good boy." She turned around to face all Parkers once more. "Bye, see you tomorrow." Bonnie waved and a collective 'bye' followed her outside the room.

 **Author's note: Sooooo, Jo's secret finally revealed. Some of you already guessed it back when it was first introduced, so well done. I hope I can update this story as often as possible because right now I am doing my internship and that will take a lot of my time up until October. But rest assured, I am still willing to continue and I already have a lot of work done for future chapters just need the time to edit it. Thanks for sticking around, until then.**


	25. Chapter Twenty- Five: Inanimate Objects

Chapter Twenty- Five: Inanimate Objects

"Can I have your car?"

"Again?"

"Please? I want to go see Jo, she is going to get released today." Bonnie looked at her mother with the best bambi-eyes she could do. Bonnie had been using Abby's car do drive to the hospital at least once a day for the past few days. Jo had always been glad to see her and talk to her because she had decided not to tell anyone else of the pregnancy, not even her best friends. So it was Bonnie's duty to make sure Jo was coping with the loss.

"Good, okay. But I'll need it back in the evening. I have the late shift today."

Bonnie jumped off the kitchen stool she had occupied and waved her arms around her mother's neck. "You're the best!"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it." A little laugh escaped her.

Bonnie went back to the table and finished her breakfast in no time. While she ate she looked through the newspaper. It was usually pretty boring, just adverts, traffic news and the top story would always be something about neighbors fighting over some tree that should or shouldn't be planted near their property. But today Bonnie's eyes got stuck on the vacancies.

"Mom? What would you say if I would get my own car?" Bonnie asked eyes still stuck on the paper.

"The same thing I would tell you every time you asked me. If you can afford one half of the prize, I'll be willing to give you the other." Abby looked up and saw her daughter paying close attention to the newspaper. "Why?"

"I was thinking of getting a job. There is this catering firm that's looking for help on the weekends. Sounds like that would be doable."

Abby stepped closer to Bonnie to take a look at the ad. "What kind of catering firm is that?"

"Not sure, but the way it seems it a pretty big one and it would be in different locations, depending on the commission."

"Well, why don't you apply for the job if you're interested?"

"Yeah, maybe I will." Bonnie kept reading. An application should be send to a Mrs. Riddles. Bonnie made a note to herself to remember to update her C.V. later and send the application to the address. "Alright, I should get going."

"Give Jo my best wishes." Abby added before Bonnie could grab her stuff and be out the door.

"I will, love you mom." Bonnie shouted and closed the door behind her. She headed straight for her mom's car and was at the hospital in no time.

Earlier in school she had heard some rumor about Jo's absence from class the last few days. Of course the news would spread like wildfire but at first it was only the fact that she was in an accident. Today Liza had asked her if it was true that the other driver had been drunk and that Jo had nearly lost her arm.

That story was more than bullshit. No matter who told these lies clearly had no idea what had really happened. The other driver was yet to be found so there was no way of telling whether he had been drunk or not. And Jo's arm was perfectly fine, just broken. But no talk about a possible pregnancy, which was a good thing.

Bonnie took the elevator to the third floor and went straight to Jo's room. She had memorized the way form all the times she had walked to the room in the past few days. Over the last visits she had sometime's encountered some other Parkers. Bonnie had been there nearly as often as Evelyn, Briana and the twins. Sometime's Joey would join them and even Ballamy showed his face once. The only ones Bonnie hadn't seen at Jo's side were Joshua Parker and Melinda.

Their excuse was that Melinda had a very important quiz in a few days and she needed to study and Joshua had important business to attend. But Jo had claimed that they had been there to visit her once when Bonnie hadn't been there yet. Bonnie wasn't sure if that was the truth because she had no one to confirm it. Kai had been home that day, because Jo had kicked him out. He wouldn't have left her side if she wouldn't have insisted.

So understandably she was a little surprised when she knocked on Jo's door now and stepped into the room only to find Joshua Parker hovering over his daughter. Kai was sitting in the corner farthest away from his dad with his legs cocked and put on the cushions of the chair, and Jo and Joshua looked up from their conversation as Bonnie stepped inside.

"Bonnie." Jo smiled at her and Bonnie made her way to her other side and hugged her hello.

"Hey Jo." She righted herself and managed a small smile for the Parker patriarch. "Hello Mr. Parker."

"Bonnie!" Joshua only nodded in her direction and Bonnie quickly turned around to make her way to greet Kai. Something about this man made her shiver every time she saw him. Maybe it was his ice cold eyes that sometime's reminded her so much of Kai. Maybe it was just the way he spoke to her, like she was inferior.

"Hey fish face!" Kai smiled at her and she glared at him but still hugged him. When she drew back her eyebrows rose in question. 'What's your father doing here?' she was trying to ask. Kai understood, rolled his eyes and shook his head. Bonnie turned to sit on the armrest of the chair Kai was currently sitting in and turned her attention to the two people in front of her.

"So, I see you are in very capable hands, Jo." Joshua turned to smile at Bonnie and Kai but something in his voice and his eyes made her doubt the truthfulness of his words. "I'll be leaving the three of you then. Call when you are going to get released, I'll come get you then." Joshua leaned down and gave her a kiss on her hair.

"Okay, see you dad." Jo smiled at her father.

Joshua made his way to the door and while he crossed the room he nodded to Kai and Bonnie once more. But when Bonnie thought that he was about to leave for good Joshua Parker stopped with his hand on the handle and turned around.

"Malachai, there's one more thing." He directed his words to Kai, who looked at his father with boredom but didn't reply anything. So Joshua continued "Since it was your car that was involved in the accident I need you go to the junkyard and sing the paperwork. You need to give your consent so they can wreck it."

"Alright." Kai said and turned his head away from him.

Joshua leaned a little closer to him, just an inch but it had the desirable effect, at least on Bonnie. He looked at his son with… was it repulsion?... and goosebumps formed along Bonnie's arms when he spoke with no emotion in his voice. "Preferably today. I don't want to drag this issue out longer than it needs to." Joshua turned back to the door and opened it. While stepping outside he added. "For once, do as you're told." And then the door fell closed and he was gone.

Kai next to her breathed in heavily, trying to fight back the anger rising inside. Bonnie knew he didn't want to release his anger on either his sister or her but he fought hard to keep himself in check. So Bonnie decided to change the subject.

"So, are you coming back to school immediately or are you staying home for a few more days?"

"I still don't feel like I'm back to my best self. I think I will stay home for a few more days. But everything is better than being here. At least at home it can watch Netflix." Jo joked. She looked way better already. She wasn't so pale anymore and the scratches on her face had started to heal. But of course Bonnie could only guess how she looked on the inside.

"What about you? Are you showing you face again some time soon?" Bonnie turned to Kai, who apparently had himself back under control. The last few days Kai had stayed with Jo in the hospital, not bothering to go to any of his classes. The teachers kind of gave him a free pass on that, given it was his twin sister that had an accident but that excuse wouldn't hold for much longer.

"Not sure yet. Maybe I'd rather spent my time bugging my big sister." He teased and Jo threw a pillow in his direction. But her aim was kind of off and it nearly hit Bonnie in the head.

"Uuups, sorry." Jo had her hands pressed to her mouth but underneath that Bonnie spotted a smile. She started laughing herself and the twins joined in. Kai got up from the chair and went to the tray resting on Jo's left bedside cabinet. There was still an apple and yoghurt on there. He snatched the yoghurt and the spoon and placed himself at the end of the bed.

"Kai, that's mine!" Jo warned him as he was about to open the cup.

"You're not going to eat in anyways." He laughed and went on. Bonnie made her way to join the two and sat on the opposite side of the bed.

"Well, maybe I would want to eat it." Jo insisted. "What if I get hungry?"

"Come on you're gonna be home in a few hours, it's not like mom is gonna let you starve or anything. Plus, there is still an apple if you're hungry." He grinned his cashier- cat grin and ate the first spoonful of yoghurt.

"You are the worst brother in the world." Bonnie commented.

"Pardon me, but I think I am the best!"

"And he's cocky too." Bonnie directed that to Jo.

"That's the first time you noticed?" Jo asked ironically and they laughed. Kai only pouted exaggeratedly but then kept on eating his yoghurt.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hey do you need a ride to the junkyard?" Bonnie asked. The three had been goofing around for a while now and a few minutes ago a nurse had come in to inform Jo the final examination was going to be in a few minutes. Bonnie had taken that as her cue to leave. She had to get her mom's car back soon anyway.

"No, I'm not going there today. Thought I'd get Jo's car from the garage and go there tomorrow."

It was Kai being typical Kai. His father tells him to do something he does the direct opposite.

"Come on Kai, don't be dumb. Do you really want to provoke dad the first night I am back?" Jo asked him, clearly trying to reason with him. "Just go with Bonnie, it will only take a minute. Please."

His jaw clenched but he finally gave in as Bonnie stood up and stretched out her hand for him to take it. "Fine, I'll go to the junkyard BUT just to be clear I'm not doing this for dad."

Jo smiled and hugged Bonnie to say goodbye. Kai gave her a peck on the forehead and said his goodbye until later.

On their way down to the parking lot the two said their goodbye to the nurses they ran into. Even though it had only been a few days they had kind of gotten to know some of them. They had always been happy when Kai and Bonnie had been with Jo because on intense care there weren't too many happy faces and the three were constantly laughing.

While they were getting to the junkyard they were constantly bickering about what way to take. When Bonnie was going left, Kai wanted to go right until Bonnie started the navigation and grinned at him when the device pointed them in the direction Bonnie had suggested.

The closer they got to the junkyard the more silent Kai fell. Bonnie wondered if he was pissed that she had been right, but that would be so unlike him. He could always take it if he had been wrong about something. When Bonnie parked in front of the yard she suddenly realized something.

She touched his arm. "You want me to come along?" He probably hadn't seen the car yet and even though he had loved it immensely it was probably the fact that Jo had been hurt in this car and that she had lost her baby in it that made him uncomfortable. She could only guess the thoughts running through his head right now. He didn't answer her but only smiled sadly and they both stepped outside the car.

It took them forever to find someone that knew what they were talking about. The man sitting in the small container-office at the entrance of the yard directed him to someone else, because he was new to the job and didn't know his way around yet. But the man that he had pointed to was only the one to operate the machinery and he pointed to a man in blue all the way across the junkyard. Bonnie hadn't known that a junkyard could be this big.

When they finally found the man in blue he took them back to the entrance and looked up the location of the car in the small office. Kai grew more annoyed by the second because A he didn't want to be here, B the people working here were incompetent in his eyes and C it already took them forever.

The man led the way to a section of the yard where a lot of cars were placed. Some of them were old, some still looked okay and others were demolished. Like the one they were standing in front of now. The black Audi A1 standing there was a wreck. The passenger side was dented, so much so, that the back axle wasn't in line with the front one anymore. The trunk was nearly unrecognizable and the back window and the passenger windows were either broken or splintered. The sight of the wreck made Bonnie realize what a horrible crash Jo had been in and she silently thanked whatever was out there and protected her friend so she had gotten away with her life. Anyone sitting on the passenger seat would have been dead, for sure.

Bonnie suddenly reached for Kai's hand, looking for some comfort there. His steady posture and warmth calmed Bonnie down a bit.

"This you're car?" The man in blue asked with a heavy southern accent.

"Yeah. I mean it was." Kai answered.

The man in blue got out some paperwork and handed it to Kai. Bonnie let go of his hand so he could take the paper.  
"Need you to sign here and here." The man pointed at two spots on the document handed Kai a pen and Kai followed his instructions and handed everything back to the man.

"A'right. Wanna stay around for the spectacle?" he asked.

"Eh, don't know." Kai answered confused.

"Your's goona be next." The man said and made his way back to the machines and pointed back at the Audi to his colleague from earlier. "Should search for a better spot." The man told them and Bonnie pulled lightly on Kai's arm so they could watch the destruction of the car in safety.

The crane moved the car up in the air and placed it between the metal presses. It only took a few minutes and then slowly the two ends of the press moved in on each other, wrecking the car in between. Bonnie looked up at Kai the moment the car was impacted and saw pain cross his face.

"Man, I loved that car." He said sadly and Bonnie laughed.

"You're gonna get over it. There is always a next." She leaned onto his shoulder and watched the remains of Kai's car being moved out of the press. "By the way, I was thinking about applying for a catering job so I can buy my own car."

Kai turned around and watched her skeptically. "Really?"

Bonnie was confused. "Yeah, thought it was about time. I have an arrangement with my mom that I have to come up with half the money and then she's gonna give me the other half. You think it's a bad idea?"

"I think it is a pretty good idea, it's just that I have to be worried for another person then. Or maybe everyone else if you are going to drive around town bumping into everyone and everything. Ouch! Hey!"

Bonnie had interrupted him by punching him as hard as she could on the side of his arm. "That's not true I am a good driver." She shouted in his face and he started to grin. He was making fun of her. When she realized he had fooled her once more her expression must have been hilarious because Kai broke into laughter, holding his stomach after a minute.

"Uuuh, Bonnster, you are just the best!" He laughed.

"And you are an ass." But Bonnie had to push back a grin herself. When Kai finally got himself back under control his eyes were- for the first time in days- full of glee. Bonnie's stomach felt like it was turned upside down but not in a bad way. Warmth flooded through her system, starting from the heart that was beating faster than usual. She was happy for her skin color because now he wouldn't see her blushing.

Gosh, this laugh and his smile in the combination with these eyes. That was her undoing and she really had to be careful not to revel in the feeling spreading through her because she was on the direct way of going too far. He had snuck up on her in the first place and now she was afraid that he would manage to sneak in even further into her heard.

"Come on asshole, I'll get you home." She said turning away from his appealing look and trying to calm her voice down so he wouldn't notice how much it fluttered.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .

"Hey stranger!"

Bonnie walked up to Kai in school a few days later. It was Friday and Kai had finally decided to come back to school. Probably because Jo forced him to check out the general mood in school or just to have him out of her face.

Bonnie had paid Jo a visit the day after she had been released. She had settled in fine, everyone was treating her with kid gloves and at first she found that flattering but Bonnie imagined a girl like Jo wouldn't let her family treat her like an invalid for long. Kai had gone back to treating her like he always did the second she had arrived at home, or at least that's what Jo had told her.

Now he was standing in the school hallways, searching his locker for something and looking at Bonnie with a bright smile that made her heart miss a beat. She ignored it.

"Hey there." Kai greeted her when she was within his reach and pecked her cheek, he turned back to his locker and luckily didn't see the way Bonnie had to blink several times to calm her thoughts. This was getting worse.

"See you decided to come back to school on the very last school day of the week. How smart." She scoffed.

"Right? Always told you I am a smart cookie." He didn't turn to her but kept searching for something in his locker.

"Can I help you with that?" Bonnie pointed to the inside of the locker.

"Nope, already got it." He turned to her with a triumphant smile and presented a flash drive to her. "Jo is turning crazy at home. She wanted to convince mom to let her go to school with me today but mom refused, which is vise, I think. But now that she basically binge watched every original Netflix series there is, she need new entertainment." Kai explained.

"And she is going to find that entertainment on there?"

"Probably not. Brian once gave it to me, it's full of films, the kind Brian recommended so I don't think she'll find a lot of things on here that she will actually want to see. If she is lucky he put the sharknado films on here and that's saying something if those are the best ones on this thing."

Kai closed his locker and Bonnie scared herself nearly to death. Hidden behind the locker door stood a boy. He was their age, had blonde hair. He was one of the football players Bonnie had seen in the cafeteria a few times. He was wearing a college jacket in the school colors and shyly looked at Kai. "Hey Kai."

Kai turned around to face the guy but his expression had already darkened when he heard his voice. "Laughlin." Kai greeted the boy who looked more and more uncomfortable in his own skin. Kai could do that to people.

"Eh, I heard about Jo's accident. Just wanted to make sure she is okay." The blonde said. He seemingly took all his courage to come here and talk to Kai.

"The accident happened a week ago and you only want to make sure she is okay now? Could have given her a call, oh wait, you couldn't because you lost her number the second you ditched her." Kai spoke to him in his best bitch voice.

"Look, man I just want to know if she is alright. I am no monster. Just because I broke up with her doesn't mean I don't care about her anymore." The guy called Laughlin tried to reason.

Kai only disparagingly laughed at the guy and shook his head. "You have some nerve, Laughlin."

"Please, can you just tell her that I tried to reach out to her?"

Kai's face turned serious, his eyes ice-cold. He stepped closer to Laughlin and looked straight into the man's eyes. "You really think I will do anything for you? Wrong. If you are lucky, I'm not going to tell Jo anything about your stupid little try to reach out, because I can't imagine any situation in which she would be happy about that. And now do me favor and get out of my view." His voice was threatening and held no trace of mercy. For a second Bonnie was afraid that Laughlin wouldn't take the hint and would try his luck in a stare down with Kai, which would ultimately turn into a fist fight. But luckily for his and Kai's sake he backed off.

"Alright, alright. I had to try." He had his hands raised to indicate he meant no harm and turned around to walk away. Kai spend a few more moments glaring at the back of the guy while he disappeared in the crowd.

"Was that-?" Bonnie tried to organize the thoughts in her mind.

"Timothy Laughlin, Jo's douche ex-boyfriend aka baby daddy? Yeah." The last part he said leaning down to her ear and whispering so no one could hear. Bonnie remembered seeing Jo with him a few months ago. So apparently her boyfriend had gotten her pregnant and had ditched her. What an ass. She could totally understand Kai reaction to him, even though she couldn't approve.

"Wow, kinda pictured him differently." Bonnie admitted.

"Like what?" They were now pacing the hallway to their next classroom. Bonnie kept bumping into other people because she was distracted from his closeness a few moments ago. She was desperately trying to get her mind to start working again when he was around.

"I don't know, actually. Maybe taller?"

Kai laughed and Bonnie wanted to punch herself in the face for this stupid comment.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you." He mocked her. "Hey, what are you doing after school?"

Bonnie's phone buzzed from an incoming call. She frowned at the screen when she saw that the caller was Jeremy. That completely took her off guard.

"Eeh, nothing I guess." Bonnie said distractedly. She quickly declined the call, not wanting to talk to Jeremy and not knowing what to talk to him about.

"I wanted to take Jo to the ice cream parlor near our home. Get her out the house for the first time. Wanna come along?"

"Sounds nice, why not." Bonnie's mind went on a rollercoaster again. What could Jeremy possibly want? And then she took Kai's word in. She imagined, under different circumstances, that his question had sounded a little like he wanted to invite her on a date. Bonnie shook her head. 'Get a grip, girl.' She spent the next hour tying not to stare at Kai sitting next to her or think about Jeremy and what he could want from her.

 **Author's note: Managed to update. I'm so super busy right now but I promise to do my very best to update as regularly as possible.**


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six: Changes

Chapter Twenty-Six: Changes

About a week later Bonnie was running towards Faye. She had spotted her friend from afar and was now rushing through the hallways to tell her the good news.  
"I got the job! I got the job!"

Faye turned around as she heard her friend approach and Bonnie was running into her open arms. They were jumping like crazy people, earning a few glances form classmates but they didn't care.

Yesterday Bonnie had spent the entire afternoon at Faye's trying to prepare for her job interview with the catering firm. Bonnie had no idea why but she was super excited and nervous about this interview and Faye had tried to calm her down and play the interested boss searching for a competent young help in their improvised role play.

Her interview had been this morning before school. She had only called her mother after she got the job and rushed to school to tell Faye in person. Her friend was now screaming and laughing along with Bonnie.

"I am so happy for you, Bon."

"Thank you for helping me prep yesterday." She hugged Faye tight and then let go of her. With a bright smile on her face the two girls slowly made their way to Bonnie's locker because she had to get her history book.

"So how was it?" Faye wanted to know.

"It was different then I thought. Mrs. Riddles was there and two others. I was a little terrified and then they asked whether I was a good cook and I thought 'Oh god, you'll never get the job'. But I told them the truth that I was an excellent reheater but the cooking itself should be left to someone else. They kind of liked my honesty and offered me the job right away." Bonnie was still so excited about what happened.

"Oh, that's so great Bonnie."

"I couldn't have done it without you!"

"Don't be ridiculous, you would have done wonderful on your own. Look at how far you've come in the past few months. It's like the girl that got panic attacks before a pop quiz is a mere memory now." Faye smiled brightly at her while they stopped in front of Bonnie's locker.

"You're right, that really worked out quite well for me." Bonnie opened her locker and grabbed her books.

"So, are you already excited about the big game tomorrow?" Faye asked while she leaned onto the lockers next to Bonnie's.

"Hm, I'm not sure if I'll go." Bonnie admitted.

" ?" Faye dragged the word out so long it seemed like a whole minute passed before she finally finished it.

"Yeah, you know it's going to be one of the last free weekends that I'll have and I would like to have a nice calm evening with my mom."

"You are freaking kidding me, right?" Faye sounded like she had just lost hope in all mankind.

"Football was never my thing. I only went there because of you guys. And let's be honest, our school team sucks anyways, they don't stand a chance. Like every year they are horribly gonna fail and THAT I witnessed often enough." Bonnie said, trying not to anger Faye any further.

"Especially because this is your last free weekend in a while you HAVE to join us. Watching them loose against the Portland Highlanders every year is tradition. Everyone is coming and celebrating our horrible team, that is how it works. And after that we are going to get freaking drunk, make out with some random guys and celebrate our lives. This is the event of the school year, you have to come." Faye nearly begged her. The desperate expression on her friends face was getting to Bonnie. She did always have fun at the game, even though it wasn't because of the football being played. There wasn't even a particular reason why she didn't want to go this year, she was just not in the mood.

"Come on, Bonnie!" Faye even stamped her foot on the ground to make her point. Bonnie sighed.

"Alright, I'll think about it."

"Yes!" Faye cheered because she knew exactly that 'thinking about it' meant 'I'll be there'. Faye and Bonnie slowly made their way to their classes when Bonnie saw a well known figure heading their way.

"History class is that way!" Bonnie screamed in Kai's direction and he only now seemed to notice the two girls.

"Oh, hi ladies." He stopped in front of them with a cheeky smile. "Not gonna join you today actually. Got a hot date with the principle."

"What did you do?" she accusingly asked.

"Why do you think I did anything? Maybe it was a false accusation?"

Bonnie raised an eyebrow and Kai immediately confided in her. "Okay, okay. I may or may not have put a little extra sodium into the test tube in the chem lab and it kind of exploded. But I totally knew what I was doing and it shouldn't have done that. I just miscalculated the impact of O2 in the reaction." He made an innocent grimace.

"You made the lab explode?" Faye asked.

"It was just a really tiny explosion, no one got hurt or anything." He defended himself and Bonnie had to shake her head. She believed he didn't do it on purpose but still she couldn't do anything but shake her head about the stupid things Kai did out of boredom.

"You are unbelievable." Bonnie said, fighting back a smile.

"Oh yeah? So you never accidentally blew something up?" He asked her, trying to provoke.

"Actually no, because I have the ability to read the actual instructions. You know they give you these things for a reason." Bonnie scoffed and looked him in the eyes.

"Sure, but where's the fun in that?" Kai leaned down to her just the tiniest bit with a cocky smile and Bonnie became awfully aware of the closeness of his body to hers. Her gaze landed on his mouth for a second and she turned it away quickly.

"Hey, how did it go?" Kai now asked Bonnie.

"How did what go?" Bonnie asked confused. She had watched his smile for too long again and had forgotten the world around her.

"The interview? It was today right?" He asked, now confused as well.

"Oh, oh yeah it was today. I, ehm, got the job!" Bonnie stammered.

"That's amazing. I knew you could do it!" He raised his hand and Bonnie gave him a high five, trying to revive the smile that wouldn't want to leave her face a few minutes ago but was blown away the moment she had heard his voice.

"Sorry, gotta run. Catch up with you later?" Kai was already moving backwards. Bonnie turned to nod at him and then he was lost in the crowd. She sighed to get that weird feeling out of her stomach and turned back to Faye only to look into the inquisitioning stare and her raised eyebrow.

"What?" Bonnie asked, trying not to sound too obvious.

"Really? You're going to play dumb here?" Faye's stare was hard. Man, she really had a good career in law enforcement ahead of her. Everyone would break under that stare. But Bonnie knew her far too long to make the mistake of looking at her for too long when she was in a mode like this.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Bonnie started walking in the general direction of the stairs.

"Okay, let's play that game. Let's pretend that I didn't just witness you totally falling victim to Kai Parkers charms." Faye scoffed.

"I didn't… I didn't fall for his charms." It would have been more convincing if the sentence had come out as one. But the fact that Faye had seen right through her was making her nervous. If she knew… did he know also?

"Oh, come on Bonnie." Faye grabbed her arm and turned her around to face her. "You can tell me. Don't forget that I was one to observe the changes on your face every time he stepped into the same room as you all those years back in junior high. And let me tell you, the look then… not too far from the look you had just a minute ago." Faye pushed back a long strand of her red hair and then put her hands on her hips like her mom usually did when she wanted to get information out of her.

"Really Faye, it is nothing. There is nothing. We are friends. I don't have any attraction to him." Bonnie was proud of how stable her voice was and how serious her expression.

"Okay, I'll let you keep telling that to yourself a little while longer." Faye turned on her heels and went to the gym for her next class leaving Bonnie behind, confused and anxious.

Bonnie went up the stairs as she felt her phone buzzing. As she looked to the screen she blinked a few time. The screen said Jeremy was on the other end of the line. No knowing what he could possibly want or why she should even get the call she declined it. She was in no mood to take a call from him now.

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Later that day she found herself in the waiting area to Mr. Bright's office. She hadn't planned on seeing him today or any other day and only when she was standing before the door to Mrs. Percyville's office she had realized what she was about to do.

Kai hadn't shown up for lunch or any other class this day. She was well aware of this track record and the fact that he had been absent from school for quite a while last week wouldn't give him any more points with Mr. Bright. During math class she had decided that she was going to go to Mr. Bright and try and convince him that whatever punishment he had put on Kai he had to take back. She wasn't going to point out every single detail of what had happened the past few weeks but she still would try to reason him into seeing that Kai was in a very stressful situation right now.

"Miss Bennett, I haven't expected on seeing you." Mr. Bright greeted her.

"Well, I hadn't planned on coming here either." Bonnie admitted. She let herself get ushered into his office and took her usual place in front of him.

"So, what can I help you with today, Bonnie?"

"Well, I know that our … arrangement is off and I am not here to revive it. But…" She fished for the right words that would convince him and not tell too much. "I know you've seen Kai today for some stupid thing he did in the lab but… you should know whatever he did in the past few weeks… you have to cut him some slack. His situation is kind of… complicated right now. I don't say he can't be held accountable for his actions but, just be easy on him. It won't help if you make his life even harder at this point."

Mr. Bright looked at her for a moment, not saying anything. Then he leaned forward to rest his arms on his desk and spoke. "I see you are trying to tell me something but not trying to spill anything. I did notice something was off today but of course he wouldn't tell me. But Bonnie, I can't react properly if I don't know what is really going on. It is nice of you to try and protect him but with a statement like that all I will take from it is the fact that I need to have a close eye on him, because a stressed out Kai Parker is never good for anyone. So you either tell me what is going on or there is nothing I can do for you."

It was what Bonnie had feared. She had made it worse with her vague declaration but she couldn't tell him the truth. Kai had trusted her with this and she couldn't break that trust. But on the other hand someone had to know about it.

"Bonnie, you can tell me. I will not tell anyone."

She sighed. "It's… his mom. She is very sick, she might die and then there was Jo's accident. It wasn't only an accident. She was pregnant and lost the baby and that kind of got to him. The two had kept it a secret from everyone and that is why you CAN'T tell anyone that I told you that. Not him, not any other teacher and especially not his dad. He can't know about this. Who knows what he would do."

Mr. Bright leaned back into this chair, visibly shocked by what Bonnie had just told him.

"Do I have your word that you won't tell anyone?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes Bonnie, you have my word. And thank you for tell me. I know you don't think it'll help but I see a lot of things more clearly now. I have always known that the relationship to his father was troubled and I blamed a lot of his actions on that, plus the fact that he was just one of the troublemakers. But this shines a whole new light on things." He wiped his hand over his mouth in deep thought.

Bonnie didn't feel as relieved as she thought she would be now. She was positive that Mr. Bright would keep his word but she still felt like she had betrayed Kai.

"Are you going to reverse his punishment for that explosion?" she hesitantly asked.

"Oh, I haven't even given him a punishment yet." He hesitated. "Why would you think I did?"

"No reason." Bonnie lied.

Mr. Bright sighed. "He is gone, isn't he?"

"No, he is just somewhere in the hallways. I just ran by him." Bonnie tried to talk herself out of the situation but she had never been a good liar.

"Don't bother, Bonnie. I have known this kid for quite a while, I can see the patterns." He stopped himself with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry, I won't punish him for that too."

Bonnie nodded, relieved she hadn't gotten him further into trouble. "I'll have to… I need to get to class."

"Of course! Thank you again for confiding in me. You won't regret it." Mr. Bright shook her hand and smiled at her reassuringly but Bonnie wasn't so sure about the regret part. She quickly got out of his office and back to class.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Goosh, this not working." Bonnie slammed the screwdriver into the flowerbed nearby. Right after school she had taken the opportunity and got the anniversary gift for her mom and Jeffrey ready. They had both mentioned so often that they would love to have a set of outside furniture on the back patio and Bonnie had managed to get her hands on a very cute, vintage looking bench with the fitting table and two chairs. But unfortunately for her she had completely no talent in anything handicraft and was not facing a huge pile of screws, nails and furniture parts that were telling her nothing.

She wished she had more time to get this done but their anniversary was tomorrow and to Bonnie's luck her mom had the late shift today again, giving her the perfect opportunity for the surprise in the morning. But there wouldn't be a surprise if she couldn't get theses things put together.

Her frustration already reached from Portland to New York when she got a text back from Faye who was usually good with these things, that she had to babysit the neighbors kids and couldn't come help her. Bonnie searched through her phone. She needed a handy man now who could help her with this. Perry? No chance, he was even more untalented then Bonnie. Connor? Could work but it had been strange hanging around him since their little fight in math class and she really didn't want to be alone with him right now. So that left…

She shook her head and dialed Kai's number. After a few beeps he picked up.

"Hey Bon, what's up?" She could hear the sound of cars rushing by. He was driving. Her hope shrank.

"Two things: How good are you with the construction of a set of garden furniture and is there any chance you could come by and help me with this today?" She closed her eyes, anticipating his answer being negative to both her questions.

"I'm no pro but… garden furniture sounds doable. But I can't promise you anything."

Bonnie quickly reopened her eyes. "Does that mean you're gonna come help me?"

"Give me an hour."

"Oh god, Kai you're saving my ass. Thank you so much." The relieve poured out of her.

"Thank me when I was actually any help."

About 45 minutes later, Kai was standing on her doorstep and Bonnie quickly pulled him inside, pushing him through the living room and onto the patio. When he stepped outside and saw the mess she made his mouth dropped open.

"Bonnie, you didn't mention you were working in a battlefield. What happened here?" He was turning over some of the parts spread on the floor and faced her then.

"I tried… to build them myself. I looked so easy in the hardware store but I really have no craftsmanship. You think you can do anything with this?"

"Hope so. Why do you need this done today?"

"It's for my mom and her boyfriend. It's my anniversary gift. It's tomorrow."

"Well, we better get started then before the sun goes down. Hand me the instructions, please?"

In the following hours the two spend their time bickering and yelling at each other, mostly because of Bonnie trying to 'help' too much. She constantly mislay tools or parts, tried to construct some part on her own which obviously didn't work or just sat around whining that they would never get this thing ready. Kai being Kai he had also tried to trick her into believing she forgot to buy the fitting screws for the table because they weren't included. Bonnie nearly freaked but then he laughed so hard and revealed the missing screws to her that she turned so mad and stormed off into the house not coming back out for another 20 minutes. When she had calmed down he was nearly done with the table. After that she only did what he told her to do and like on cue, when the last sunbeams had disappeared the bench, the table and both chairs were done.

"Aaaah, you did it." Bonnie threw her arms around his neck and squeaked. "Thank you so much. You saved my ass. I owe you sooo much." She let go of him and let herself fall on the bench to test its comfortableness.

When the bench didn't burst under her weight Kai solemnly declared "What do you know, it holds."

Bonnie's mouth dropped open as she realized he had let her sit down without fully knowing if this construction was really safe. She glared at him but he only laughed and placed himself next to her.

"You risked my life here." Bonnie accused him.

"A little exaggerated, don't you think?" He turned his head to look at her. "I was a least 75% sure that it wouldn't crumble."

"Oh, and I guess I should even be thankful now?"

The timer for the chain of lights surrounding the cobbled place the furniture was now standing on started and lighted the place with small lights that looked like little fireflies filling the air, leading both their attentions to their surroundings. The combination of the lights, the dark sky and the sweet smell in the air from all the blossoming trees and flowers made the atmosphere seem magical and Bonnie looked around from where she sad to take it all in.

When she looked back to Kai with a content smile, the lights were reflected in his eyes making them shine. Bonnie had never seen anything like it. She couldn't see the blue of his eyes they were all black with small sparks of light dancing in them. She must have looked the same because Kai's eyes were glued to hers as well.

His gaze dropped to her mouth and stayed there for far too long. Bonnie's heart rate picked up and she breathed faster. Once again she felt this warmth inside her and she was sure that with the way he looked at her right now and the romantic atmosphere she wouldn't be able to hold herself back. Not this time. Without her consent Bonnie's upper body leaned in closer to his that was only inched away. Her brain was completely shut off when she covered his mouth with her own.

At first she thought he wasn't going to kiss her back as she slowly closed her eyes and moved her mouth over his. But his reluctance was only short and their lips started off into a slow dance. After a while she felt his hands move the cup the side of her face and pull her closer to him. Bonnie felt the sparks in her belly again and for the first time she also felt her lower body parts answer to Kai's sweet touch.

But his whole time their kiss stayed gentle and sweet. Neither of them was willing to break the meaningful moment and risk deepening the kiss but that only made this moment more perfect. Bonnie's hands wandered up Kai's chest and rested there as Kai's one hand had moved to the back of her neck the other one still resting on her face. She had no idea how long they stayed this way. Every now and then one of them broke off the kiss for a second to catch a quick breath but never so long as for the other to draw back and end the kiss. It seemed like hours had passed as they finally did break it, lips still very close to one another, ready to either snatch away or start again.

Neither said anything, they just breathed and Bonnie reopened her eyes slowly. Her nose was so close to Kai's and the urge to just resume their previous action was nearly impossible for her to fight but she knew this was not what they should be doing right now. Even if she risked ruining the moment she drew back from and looked him in the eyes, expression serious.

"Well, that happened, again." She finally got out after a long silence.

"Ehm, yeah. I guess." Kai stammered. Kai Parker being speechless, now Bonnie had seen it all.

"So, what was that?"

"I don't… I don't know." Kai turned away from her and leaned forward resting his elbows on his thighs. "I mean, it was… nice."

Bonnie fought the silly smile that was trying to spread across her face. "Yes, it was." She shyly admitted. "What are we gonna do about it?"

Kai turned back to her. "Honestly? I have no clue."

"I mean, we should talk about it, right?"

"Yeah, yeah sure. Let's talk about it." Kai turned his body so he was now completely facing her. His right arm rested on the backrest and he looked at her expectantly and she realized that she was going to have to initiate that talk because talking about his feelings had never been his forte.

"Well, ehm, we already established that it was a nice kiss. We should now clarify what this means now." He hesitated and closed her eyes briefly. She swallowed hard and took all her courage to confess what was going on with her recently. "Look, Kai. The past few weeks had been intense and I don't know about you but, in some situations I found myself drawn to you. Like wanting to be close to you and maybe even kiss you but I have no idea what that means and it scares the crap out of me, because I don't know if you felt that too or if it was just me and even if you did feel it how would that effect our friendship or would it effect it at all? Should we fight this or peruse it? Is it just because of the intensity of the past few weeks? Can we maybe just ignore it and everything will get back to nor…"

"Bonnie, Bonnie, stop." Kai interrupted her mid sentence. "Normally I am the one babbling but I just realized that you have a fine skill there too."

"Sorry." Bonnie held her hand over her mouth, a little embarrassed by the flood of words that had come out of it.

"No, don't be. I think it was important that you said what you just said but…" Bonnie's heart felt like it just dropped to the floor. Oh, no he hadn't felt the same way. Bonnie turned her gaze to her hands that were placed in her lap now, she couldn't bear looking at him. But when he resumed she didn't instantly hear what she expected to hear. "Gosh, I'm not good with this."

"With what?" Bonnie looked up and saw that he had turned his face from her as well, gaze dropped to the floor.

"With feelings. I mean you have probably noticed already that I am not the most open guy when it comes to emotional things." He stopped and Bonnie looked at him, intrigued by his behavior. He was just as confused about this as she was and it seemed like he didn't regret any of it either.

"So, did you… feel that too?" She dared to asked, even though she was afraid of his answer.

When Kai looked back at her, her heart jumped at the seriousness in his eyes. He breathed in before he spoke. "Yes."

"Wow, I didn't expect that." Bonnie openly admitted. "So you think we can… figure this out somehow?"

"Without ruining our friendship?" he asked.

"Yeah, because… you are way too important for me to lose you over something that might not even be anything. You are my best friend and if we get into this too fast without a plan or any further thought about it… I just don't want to screw this up." Her voice was shaking; she hadn't anticipated such a strong reaction. Kai had picked up on her mood swing and grabbed her hands that were still in her lap.

"Listen, how about this? We are just going to go on like always, not like nothing happened but not actively trying to push it, but if there's going to be more situations like these we're also not going to shy away from it. I mean, do you know what I'm trying to say?"

"I guess. You basically say that we're going to be friends with… awareness of each other and of the possibility that we might start feeling differently about each other. Is that it?" Bonnie tried to summarize.

"Basically."

They both nodded. "Yeah, that could work. I mean we'll see. Maybe it's still going to be awkward the next time we see each other."

"Fffh, please, when isn't it awkward when I'm around?" Kai joked and Bonnie had to laugh which took away a huge pile of tension between them.

She looked at him and his expression gave her hope. Hope that no matter in what direction this would go they would come out on top. She gifted him with a shy smile.

Her phone buzzed and pushed them both out of their bubble and back into reality. She checked the ID and pressed back a sigh. It was Jeremy yet again but there was no chance in hell she was going to answer the call now that she kind of had a heart to heart with Kai just seconds ago. She declined the call.

"Was it important?" Kai asked casually.

"No, not at all!" Bonnie quickly answered.

"I should get going. Jo wanted me to get her some ice cream on the way home and at the moment she's a real bitch when she doesn't get what she wants." He got off the bench and they both silently went through the living room to the entrance.

Before he open the door she stopped him by lightly touching his arm. "Hey, I wanted to thank you again for helping me today. My mom will be super excited."

"As long as Abby is happy I am happy." He gave her a childish smile and she only shook her head. He opened the door and slowly stepped outside. After a few steps he turned around and smiled at her. She slowly closed the distance between them and with just a hint of a smile forming on her face she raised her arms and put them around his neck to give him a hug. He placed his arms around her waist and pushed her closer to him.

It was a more intense and more meaningful hug then usual and it lasted longer than necessary for an ordinary goodbye between friends but given the agreement the two of them had just made it seemed fitting and Bonnie indulged in it for as long as it would last. She placed her head in the crook of his neck and breathed in his smell with closed eyes. His arms caressed her back in slow movements and neither of them seemed to be willing to let the other go. For a few more moments they stood like this.

"How cozy."

Until the familiar voice of Jeremy Gilbert made her rush away from him.

 **Author's note: Ohoh, a certain someone is back. We'll see how that influences the blossoming romance between Kai and Bonnie. Sorry that it took so long to get to this place but I just had so many ideas and really wanted to build something between them first. Hope you liked this chapter. I appreciate all you patience and reviews. See ya.**


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Blast From The Pas

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Blast From The Past

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked, shocked to see her ex-boyfriend standing in her driveway.

"Surprising you. But the way it seems you are surprising me." Jeremy answered with a nod in Kai's direction. He was standing exactly in the same spot as a few seconds ago when he was embracing Bonnie in a comfortable hug. Kai's expression was emotionless; Bonnie couldn't read anything into it. If that was a good or a bad sign she couldn't tell.

"No, Jer. I mean what were you thinking coming here unannounced all the way from Virginia?" Bonnie had her gaze locked on Jeremy. He was standing there, his hair a little shorter than the last time she saw him. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were stuck on Kai, glaring daggers at him.

"This visit is barely unannounced. I booked the plane weeks ago, remember? And if you had picked up any of my calls you would have gotten a reminder of that from me."

Something in Bonnie's brain clicked as she remembered that a few weeks before, when Elena and Caroline had visited, Jer had called to tell her he was coming to Portland in April. She had been so excited. But now that they had broken up and she hadn't talked to him since she never even gave it another thought. And even if she did she would have never figured that Jeremy would ever show up on her doorstep. They weren't together anymore and she had been under the impression that that was okay for both of them. But seeing Jeremy right now made her question that. Why would he come here?

"I should leave the two of you to talk." Kai said and made his way to his car when Bonnie stopped him by reaching out to his arm. It was a weird situation. Just a few moments ago she had been kissing him in her backyard and feeling some faint sways of butterfly wings in her stomach and now that her ex had shown up on her doorstep- the ex she had been crying over in his arms just a few weeks ago- had destroyed that entire moment. Of course he would flee from the scene.

"Kai-" Bonnie started, not really knowing what she wanted to say. She just wanted him to know that she had been sincere and that she had no idea this was going to happen.

"It's alright, Bon." Kai squeezed her hand and gave her a tired smile. "I get it."

She let him leave and watched him go to the car, feeling more confused than ever.

Jeremy was ignoring him when he passed him by and kept his gaze stuck on her. He hadn't moved an inch and by the way he was standing there she could see that he demanded an explanation for this scene. But why would she give him one? She didn't owe him anything. Sudden anger raged through her and she turned around on the spot leaving him behind exactly where he was.

She was about to slam the door shut when she heard him rush to her and put his body between the doorframe and the closing door.

"Bonnie, wait."

"Wait for what, Jer?" she yelled at him. "We broke up remember? I didn't really think you would come all the way to Portland to do… what exactly?" She was heading to the living room and he followed. Bonnie didn't face Jeremy, she didn't want to see the expression on his face right now.

"That's what I was trying to tell you over the phone, I am sorry, Bonnie. I am sorry about the things that I said to you that day and I am sorry that I treaded you so bad. You were right about everything and I was a complete jerk for not giving you what you deserve but I get it now. I am here to prove to you that I have changed. I want to earn another chance with you. I want you back, Bonnie." Jeremy put a lot of effort into his words but they failed to convince her. She had closed the chapter Jeremy Gilbert in her life once and for all and she thought that him being here wasn't going to change that.

But when she turned around to tell him there was no chance in hell they would ever get back together, she saw the hurt expression and the desperation in Jeremy's eyes. It was like someone had hit her with a stone. All the things she had felt for him came rushing to her mermory, only mixed with confusion and anger, but she couldn't deny that after all the time they had together, he still wasn't indifferent to him.

Bonnie let herself fall on the couch behind her not able to say anything. Jeremy took that as a sign to place himself next to her.

"You have a nice home." He said after minutes of silence.

"Yeah, thanks. You would have known about it if you had been here before." She tried to sound mad but she only managed to sound confused. Jeremy laughed.

"I know, another one of my mistakes." He reached for her hand but she wouldn't let him take it. "Bonnie, I know this isn't easy for you but I am sincere. I want to earn you back because I love you and all I am asking is that you give me the next two days to prove myself worthy of another chance. Unless… unless you already moved on."

He was referring to the hug he had walked in on between her and Kai. This whole thing had gotten more and more complicated. She needed to talk to someone that wasn't involved in all this. And she needed space form Jeremy.

"Jer-" she started and Jeremy got a little closer to her, not giving her enough space to breath properly. "I need to think about some things and I can't have you here for that."

"I understand." Jeremy said but made no move to leave.

She turned and looked at her former boyfriend. His face was so close and for the first time in her life she didn't feel comfortable having him so close to her.

"You can't stay here." She finally managed to say softly.

"I know. I am staying in a motel not far from here. I didn't think you were going to welcome me with open arms. I came prepared." His voice was equally soft and to her surprise he rose from his spot and made his way to the front door. Bonnie followed a few steps behind.

"So, will you call me tomorrow?" Jeremy asked before he opened the door.

"I have to clear my head first, Jer. I can't promise you anything."

"Okay, just… I just want to see you. Please, let's just talk."

Bonnie nodded and when Jeremy got out she quickly closed the door before her confused brain could think of any other dumb action that she would totally regret the next day.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Come again?" Caroline looked surprised.

"So Elena didn't mention anything to you either?" Bonnie asked. She had instantly skyped her best friend and told her about the surprising guest showing up on her front door.

"God no. You really think I would have kept that information from you? If I had known that Jeremy was going to bother you in Portland I'd have grabbed that piece of shit myself and tugged him to a chair or something."

Caroline's obvious dislike for Elena's little brother didn't surprise Bonnie anymore. She had made it clear that she wasn't too sad they had broken up and over the course of their relationship Caroline had voiced her concern multiple times. But still, Bonnie was relieved that Caroline hadn't known about this.

"You think Elena knew?" Bonnie looked to the ground, only whispering the words. Caroline kept quiet for some time.

"You think she did?" she asked in return.

"I don't know, Care. Over the past few months I was under the impression Elena was desperately trying to sugarcoat everything Jeremy did. She defended him all the time. I know I shouldn't think like this about her but I had the feeling she was more on his side then on mine and it wouldn't surprise me if she encouraged him to come here in the first place." Bonnie sighed. "I hate to say this but Elena is annoying me sometimes."

"Wow, now I have heard it all." Caroline laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"You? Telling me that Elena Gilbert is annoying you? You two were always thick as thieves. Always the same opinion, taking care of each other."

"Just because I say she annoys me doesn't mean I don't love her any less, Care."

"Yeah, I know, I know and I don't judge you for anything you just said. In fact I am a little proud of you, lately you are really voicing your thoughts and that's good. "

Bonnie smiled. She did feel better these days, more confident and more rooted in herself.

"What am I going to do with Jeremy now?" Bonnie asked after a while.

"Well, I have seen enough romantic comedies to know that it is always a huge ice breaker if one partner flies across the world in search of the other and I have been a fan of these scenarios since I was 10 but… with Jeremy in the role of the love-drunk fool? I just can't picture it. And I don't approve either. You know how I feel about your break-up; I don't need to tell you. But this isn't about me, it's about you. So you need to figure out if there are enough feelings for him left inside of you to believe him and give him another chance."

"Sounds so easy coming from you."

"Because it is, you just need to think about it. Do you still care about Jeremy?" Caroline's voice turned into interrogation mode.

"Yes." Bonnie hesitated and hated herself a little for admitting that she really did care about Jeremy, in what way was a whole other question.

"So, don't you have your answer then?"

Bonnie laughed. "This is so complicated, Care. You can't even imagine."

"Wait, is this about Jeremy being a douche all the time that makes you hesitate to give him another chance? Because you know, I thought that maybe you'd start off with something easy, like going to meet him and hear him out and not running back into his arms right away."

"It's not that, I am pretty sure I won't be giving him another chance but after all this time don't I at least owe it to him to hear him out? But that is not really why I'm hesitating."

"Then what is it?" Caroline asked impatiently, realizing that Bonnie had kept some crucial information from her to fully understand her dilemma.

Bonnie didn't say anything for a while but when she finally gathered enough courage to admit her feelings to someone else, and more importantly to herself, she swallowed and said one single word that was going to make Caroline understand. "Kai."

Caroline's eyes widened and her mouth opened until Bonnie though it would drop to the floor. "Oh my god. You and Kai?"

"It's not like that." Bonnie backtracked but it was too late Caroline was already fantasizing.

"Oooooh, I can totally see it. I was waiting for you to tell me you and Kai finally dropped the whole 'were just friends' act and finally act on that insane chemistry of yours."

"Care, it's really not what you think."

"No? Then fill me in."

"It's… it's…"

"Complicated? Yeah, heard that before. Spill Bonnie!"

"I don't know how I can explain it. I was sincere when I told you I had no feelings for him. But he has been such a good friend to me lately and so many things happened and he was so… vulnerable. I don't know how or when it happened and I don't know what it is exactly but we said that we would figure it out as it comes along. All I know is that I feel… good when I'm around him and something inside me jumps every time I see him and his eyes are sooooo beautiful." Bonnie could have gotten on and on but Caroline's expression made her come back to reality. "What?" she asked.

"My dear Bonnie, you are so screwed. You like him! You are about to fall for your childhood crush and it is kind of cute but with Jeremy showing up on the surface it makes it such a bad timing."

Bonnie sighed. "I don't want this, Care. I have sworn myself not to ever fall for him. He is the devil when it comes to things like emotions. I don't even know if he would ever be open for a relationship, when it comes to emotions he is like a locked door. I can't fall for someone like that. I can't."

"Oh honey, but you don't have a say in that." Caroline's smile was understanding and Bonnie was sure if she would be sitting next to her she'd hug her right now.

. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bonnie was sitting in the small café two blocks from her house. She used to come here with her mom every Sunday when they just moved to Portland. Over the years the café didn't change much and the people working here were always happy to see them coming back. To them Bonnie and Abby Bennett were part of the inventory. Bonnie had always felt comfortable in this place.

So it was the wisest choice for her to choose this place for her meeting with Jeremy. She had called him yesterday evening to tell him she would give him a chance to make his case, totally non-committal of course. She hoped that he would make this easy for her and be the jerk he had been the past few weeks but if not… she would need to find a way to let him down easy.

When Jeremy came through the door of the café he instantly spotted her sitting by the window. He quickly made his way to her and smiled.

"Hey Bonnie, I'm glad you called."

"Just to be clear, this right here, it is just talking. I want to hear what you have to say. This doesn't mean anything more." Her voice sounded a little colder as she anticipated it.

"I know, but I am still glad you give me a chance to express myself."

The waiter came to their table and Jeremy ordered a cappuccino. Bonnie had already ordered a coke but wanted to add a slice of cheese cake to that.

When he left Jeremy started to talk. "So, I was thinking. Since the day you told me we should break up I was furious. I didn't get what you said and only after I talked to Elena a while back I understood what your problem was and now… I get it, Bonnie. I get that you felt abandoned and left alone. I get that I treated you like crap and I am sorry for that. You deserve better than that and I promise you, the way that I have treated you does not reflect the way that I feel about you. I'm a jerk, I know that. But I can be better. I forgive you the whole kissing another guy thing; I see where you were coming from…"

"Hold there a second!" Bonnie interrupted Jeremy's monologue. "You see where I was coming from? You haven't even cared to ask for the whole story and frankly I don't owe it to you but I'm not gonna let you present me as the bad guy because I cheated on you. That is not what all this is about."

Jeremy looked at her with surprise. He wasn't used to this side of Bonnie, the side that spoke her mind. She had only recently unconverted it and she liked that new version of herself.

"Okay." Jeremy finally agreed. "But then let's talk about a way how we can make this right. I mean, I am here, I want to prove myself to you. What can I do?"

"Jer, it's not that easy. You can't come all the way to Portland and say some nice things and think that everything is going to be okay. It doesn't work like that. Our relationship is too broken to be fixed that easily."

"But… it can be fixed?" Jeremy asked hesitantly. The way he looked at her now, so hurt and fearful to actually lose her, the sad smile around his lips that reminded her of the guy she fell in love with in the beginning. She sighed. Why couldn't he just be a jerk?

"I… I don't know, and to be honest with you… a lot has changed since we broke up. I know it has only been a few weeks but I am different now, I feel different and I don't know if this version of Bonnie wants to be with you anymore."

That hurt. Bonnie could see it on Jeremy's face. But she had to say it. She couldn't very well pretend that yesterday and all the other days before with Kai didn't happen. She couldn't let Jeremy believe he had a real chance with her when she wasn't even sure if he would need to compete with someone else.

"Okay, I get it. I had to try. I should go." Jeremy got up from his chair and started to move towards the door. His face covered in pain. Not physical but emotional. Bonnie couldn't let him leave like this.

"Jer, wait." She grabbed his arm and turned him around to look at her. "I don't want us to part like this. My feelings are all over the place right now, but what I do know is, that even though we are not together you are still important to me. I didn't stop liking you just because we broke up."

Jeremy's face lighted up. She was giving him hope, hope she certainly wasn't gonna be able to maintain. But the guy standing in front of her meant so much to her for so long. She couldn't let him leave her life without trying to build some kind of understanding, maybe a friendship even.

Jeremy stepped closer to her and pressed his forehead to Bonnie's. Somehow this gesture felt strange to her, now that they weren't a couple anymore.

"Thank you, Bonnie." Jeremy whispered.

Bonnie pulled away from him and tried for an honest smile. "So I was thinking. Since I didn't expect you to show up here, I already made plans for this day." Bonnie said while they sat back down. "There is this football game tonight. It's kind of a big deal at the school because it is always fun to watch our school team loose. And after that there is a party. I know that football's not your thing but I was planning on going with Faye and the others. Maybe you wanna join us?"

Jeremy didn't even need a minute to consider. "Sure, Bonnie. I'll be there. And I am looking forward to it."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When Bonnie arrived back home she went straight to her room and started to get ready for the game. She didn't want to dress up but she felt like she needed to. While she curled her hair, she dialed Faye's number and put it on speaker.

"If that isn't my favorite Bonnie! Your hopefully not calling to tell me that you'll bail tonight."

"Hey Faye. No I am actually getting ready right now. I'm calling you to inform you that I'll be attending with a plus one."

The other end stayed silent for a second, processing what Bonnie just said. "Wait? Who's the lucky guy and why am I only hearing about this now?"

"Because I didn't know he was going to be here until yesterday night. It's Jeremy."

"Wait, what?" Bonnie heard something break on the other end of the phone. Did Faye just break a glass?

"No, no, no Bonnie. Tell me this is not true. You're not getting back together with him, are you?"

"No. He just appeared on my front door yesterday, declaring that he wanted to fix things and when I talked to him earlier today I felt so bad for dumping. I'm trying to even this out, not to get back with him."

"Oh, come on girl use your brain. You were doing so good lately. And that was without the whole Jeremy drama. You really think he isn't going to try and wrap you back around his finger?"

"Hey, I said I wasn't going to take him back, I just want to see how we are doing the time he is here. I am going to run into him at some point in the future and I don't want it to get uncomfortable. I am not blindly going back to him. But… there is still a part of me that cares for him."

Faye sighed. "I get that, Bonnie. Just… be careful and don't do anything irrational. The guy can talk a lot about change and proving himself to you but you won't know until he is back in Mystic Falls if he can really live up to those promises. I am just worried, okay? And I actually thought that you might have moved on from him so this is kind of surprising."

Bonnie knew what Faye was talking about, or better WHO she was talking about, but she decided to leave that comment unnoticed. "It's surprising to me too, trust me."

When Faye and Bonnie talked about possible outfit choices for tonight and both decided on something worm rather than something short, due to the fresh air in the evenings, they determined a meeting spot and hung up.

Bonnie was done with her hair and wanted to do her make up when a thought popped into her head.

What if Kai was going to be at the game and he and Jeremy had a run-in. After yesterday, she felt like she owed Kai an explanation about why she was showing up with her ex-boyfriend. She tried to remember if she ever saw Kai at the game the past years, but back then they didn't have the same clique and Kai would be hanging out with the cool kids, or more likely not attend the game at all but spent the time hanging out somewhere near the field getting high.

A sudden nervousness about the evening came across her and she sat down and searched through her phone for Kai's number.

She breathed in and dialed his it. When the dial tone reached her ear she got more and more nervous. What was she going to tell him anyways? But luckily she didn't have to figure it out because after a minute Kai hadn't picked up yet. Confused Bonnie hung up. Normally he always took her calls. Maybe he was busy and wasn't going to attend the game. She decided to give him a head up via WhatsApp.

 _Hey Kai. Wanted to check if you were going to be at the game tonight. I'll probably be there with Faye, Connor, Liza, Perry and Jeremy. Maybe we'll see each other._

She included the named of everyone attending with her to make it sound less like a date.

 **Autor's note: Just a short update not to leave everyone hanging. I promise the next chapter will make up for this one.**


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Game

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Game

Jeremy was behaving like a little kid in a candy store. It was so unlike him that Bonnie only gave him weird looks and he always said he was so excited to be here. He was actually really interested in the game. Before it even started he had asked Faye all kinds of questions about the players, the other team and why everyone thought that their team was going to lose.

He was also excited to meet her friends. Most of them she had been friends with long before she started dating Jeremy, but since this was his first time in Portland he didn't know anyone but Faye. Jeremy didn't used to be a crowd kind of guy, keeping more to himself and his elected group of people he let into his life. Like Elena, Bonnie and Matt Donavan. But right now he behaved like the most charming guy.

Bonnie wondered if he only did that to impress her and to show that he was very capable of adapting to her friends and her life here in Portland. It was still weird because she knew that it wasn't completely honest.

Bonnie had gotten herself some fries and after she rejoined the group, Perry and Liza had offered Jeremy to show him around campus. They seemed to like him very much. When Bonnie declined to come along Jeremy shrugged and went with them. The others made their way to the stand and searched for free places, keeping three of them free for the missing people of the group.

Faye was in a heated discussion with Connor about whether it was a good idea to bet on any possible outcome of the game or not and Bonnie focused her attention on her fries. When one of them was halfway in her mouth she felt someone drop beside her right side. When she turned to see who it was that so negligently placed him or herself next to her she froze.

Kai Parker's blue eyes locked with her green ones. Bonnie couldn't read anything into them, they just blankly stared into her own without a hint of emotion that she could decipher and that would give her a clue on his current mood.

Kai tilted his head and then stole the fry out of Bonnie's hand. She watched him eat it in delight but still couldn't take her gaze away from him. Nervously she waited for him to snap or yell at her for bringing Jeremy along or to overplay it with coolness. But somehow he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of clarity.

It was Faye that broke the heavy silence between the two friends. "Oh, look who found his way to the ordinary people. Hey Kai." Faye sing-songed.

Kai's gaze shifted from Bonnie to Faye and he smiled at the red head. "Hey, Faye. How are you doing on this lovely Saturday evening?"

This was Bonnie's first indicator to his mood. His voice was calm and had its usual mischief in its undertone but there was something else. Something Bonnie couldn't place. It irritated her along with the fact that he hadn't spoken a word to her directly since he sat down next to her.

"Oh, you know same old same old. I am only looking forward to the drinking part of the night. What about you?"

"Same." Was his calm answer and while he answered Faye's questions he looked at Bonnie. It seemed like he tried to read her as much as she tried to read him.

"How come you are up here and not down there with your buddies getting shitfaced?" Connor asked from behind Faye, his voice anything but friendly.

"Oh, don't worry I have everything arranged." Kai spit back at him and Connor only snorted and turned away making Faye focus on him instead of Bonnie and Kai.

"What was that about?" Bonnie asked.

"Told you he doesn't like me." Calm, no emotions. He was a master of hiding his true feelings.

"That's not true, Kai."

"Well, I couldn't give less of a crap about it, Bonnie." Now Kai's perfect façade got a little crack and his voice turned annoyed. It still was when he started talking again. "Did your mom like the bench?"

Bonnie nodded; she couldn't answer him right now because brining up the bench meant bringing up memories of last night.

After a short silence Kai asked, "So, where is your boyfriend?"

Bonnie tried to take his hand. She needed to have some kind of connection to him while she explained what was going on between Jeremy and her. But when she touched his hand he drew it away and turned his head to the field, not facing her anymore.

"He is not my boyfriend." Bonnie finally explained. It was the truth but still it felt like it wasn't enough but the words got stuck in her throat. What was she going to say to him that wouldn't sound like she was trying to get back together with Jeremy?

Kai didn't reply anything. He also didn't seem convinced by Bonnie's statement. He had probably already come to the conclusion Bonnie was trying to avoid.

"Please, don't be mad." Bonnie said, pleaded even. She didn't want to sound so desperate and she certainly didn't want to say these words but they just came out. She couldn't stop herself. It was just so important to her what he was thinking.

"Mad? There is no reason for me to be mad. Your ex-boyfriend comes into town and of course you'd give him another chance. It's completely logical after all that the two of you have been through and the way you parted. After all, he has always treated you like you deserved." His voice was full of spite and he turned his head back to watch her and finally Bonnie could place the thing in his eyes. It was incomprehension. He just didn't get what she was doing and if she was honest with herself, neither did she.

"Kai…"

"NO." He interrupted her and raised his hand. "I don't want to hear it Bonnie. I don't want to hear you giving me totally understandable reasons for why you even consider giving him another chance, because I won't pretend that I am supporting your decision. This guy hurt you and because he smiled at you once you forget all about it? I thought you were better than that."

A stitch went though Bonnie's heart. It was not the things he said that made her feel hurt but the way he said them. He meant all of it and it wasn't routed in jealousy or anything close to that but pure concern for a person he cared about. And probably annoyance over her stupidity.

Kai got up and stepped down a row before he turned around to her once more. He was standing now but he was still face to face with her. "I'm sorry if what I said was harsh but someone needed to tell you."

And then he turned around and made his way down the stand. For a moment Bonnie just sat there watching him pushing people out of his way and then like on autopilot she rose to go after him. Just as she was about to take the first step she heard Jeremy's voice form the left.

"You school's really nice, Bon." He smiled at her and Bonnie tried for a smile herself. She looked down the stand again to search for Kai but couldn't find him, so she sat back down with a bad feeling in her gut.

During the whole game Jeremy next to her cheered and booed along with the crowd. Bonnie didn't notice anything that happened on the field. Her mind was too far away. Every now and then she felt Jeremy's hand on her leg but she was even too preoccupied with her thoughts so that she didn't smack it away.

When the game was over- their team obviously lost- everyone was getting up and down to the field to get the party started. Bonnie followed her friends not watching where they were headed and when Connor offered her a bear she took it.

Jeremy kept talking and talking and Bonnie was politely replying but something inside her felt bored every time Jeremy opened his mouth.

A few hours into the party Bonnie felt slightly drunk but that didn't help with her confusion. Jeremy tried to get her separated from her friends quite a few times but she always found a reason to stay. She had to get Faye a new drink, she was in a really deep discussion with Connor or she was accompanying Liza to the restroom. Jeremy stayed calm on the outside but she knew that on the inside he was getting furious. This whole trip was to get her back but she didn't give him a chance.

They were standing in a circle in the middle of the field, surrounded by so many other people. Faye and Connor were already pretty drunk and Bonnie herself felt tipsy but not so much that she couldn't fully control herself anymore. Faye next to her was an extrovert when she was sober but when she was drunk she was even worse. So when she spotted Kai a few feet away from them crossing over the field she screamed in his direction to come over.

Kai hesitated for a second but then made his way to the crowed. Connor, who was standing with the back to Kai, was rolling his eyes and Bonnie realized it was Jeremy he was looking at while doing it. Kai came to stand between Perry and Connor. "Evening ladies and gentleman." Kai greeted the group and smiled at them. If he had been drinking Bonnie couldn't tell.

"I'm surprised to see you still up and running." Faye said, in the same moment she lost her balance and had to hold on to Bonnie so that she wouldn't fall to the ground. She giggled.

Kai's eyes followed Faye to Bonnie and his expression turned serious for a second before he turned back to Faye and laughed. "Guess the roles are reversed this year."

"Yeah, I remember last year. I was making out with Brian and he just fell asleep. And then you called me a cap?" Faye slurred.

That was what happened to Faye last year. No one had had a clue where she had ended up because one minute she was just gone. So now Bonnie knew she had been making out with Brian and Kai had been around too. Interesting. Faye had claimed to not remember any of it but her memories were always coming back when she reached to same stage of drunkenness as the time she had lost the memories. It was a talent of hers.

"I didn't call you a cap. I brought you to someone that still could. I think we fell to the floor about 30 times on the short way." They both laughed but Bonnie only looked from her best friend to Faye and back and stiffened. Did something else happen between the two of them that night? Bonnie had to fight a wave of jealousy rushing though her. She had no business being angry about something that happened in the past, or maybe even didn't happen at all.

Kai had noticed Bonnie's change, even though she tried her best not to show it, but the man could read her like an open book. His eyes went soft, trying to tell her that she had nothing to worry about without verbalizing it. Bonnie smiled at him to give him an answer that she understood what he was trying to tell her.

And then suddenly she felt someone grab her from the side. It was Jeremy that had grabbed her waist with his left hand and pressed her into his side. His grasp was so strong and it happened so fast that she couldn't fight it. Her eyes widened as he turned her head and pressed his lips onto hers and she could feel Kai's expression darken. How must this look to him. She had told him earlier that Jeremy and her weren't back together but Jeremy did everything in his power to make it seem that way.

When Bonnie finally pulled her lips away from Jeremy's she turned her head to find Kai, but he had already turned around and was two steps away from the group.

Bonnie wiggled her way out of Jeremy's grasp. "What the hell, Jer?" She pushed him away from her and ignored the irritated look he sent her way. Without hesitating she ran after Kai, who was already lost in the crowed. She heard Jeremy's voice calling for her but she ignored him. She needed to find Kai. She needed to explain.

Pushing herself though the crowd and calling his name to find him, she didn't get an answer. She was already leaving the field when she spotted him near the stand, heading to the exit. He was walking in a fast pace so Bonnie had to sprint to catch up with him. When she finally reached him she grabbed his am and made him stop.

"Kai, wait. Let me… let me… explain." She said out of breath. She really needed to work out more.

"No need to." He said monotonous and tried to walk away from her.

"No, wait." She didn't let go of him and it took all her strength to not let him escape and not hurt him in the process.

He turned around and tore his arm out of her grasp, not walking away but crossing his arms over his chest looking angry. "What, Bonnie? What could you possibly say?" he yelled.

Bonnie had never seen him this way. Angry, yes but never because of her. Because she hurt him. That realization hit her and made her feel like the worst person in the world.

"I'm sorry, Kai." She whispered. The alcohol in her system made her feel dizzy, or was it him, this situation? "It's really not what you think."

"What I think? What do I think Bonnie?" he was mad and when Bonnie looked up she saw his eyes sparkling with anger.

"He just grabbed me, I couldn't do anything. I didn't ask him to kiss me. You have to believe me."

"Sure, I do. Because it totally looked that way." He stopped and breathed in heavily. When he continued he sounded calmer. "You know what, forget it. I don't care. Go back to him and feel miserable again, why should I care?" He shook his head.

Suddenly Bonnie felt angry. Why should he care? Wasn't this the point of this whole conversation? "Really? Now you're pretending you are just angry at me because I'm making a mistake getting back with him? That's your problem?" she yelled.

"You know exactly that that's not it." He glared at her.

"You know, actually I don't. I thought we were on the same level yesterday, but tonight all you do is send mixed signals and that's confusing. So what is it that really bothers you, Kai?" Her raised voice went quiet and left them in silence, only the sounds of the party going on behind them sounding in their ears.

Kai kept quiet, only looking at Bonnie and it drove her crazy. "Answer me!" she demanded but still nothing. He stood a few feet away from her, arms still crossed. His silence was confusing to the core. She turned around and walked around while falling back into a rant. "You know, I'll make it easier for you. Because I'll tell you what I think. First, I am sorry for bringing Jeremy here, but I had to do it. I owed him that much. That kiss, my immediate reaction to it was shock and after that it was disgust followed by anxiety how you might react to it. I am sorry that you had to see that but it made me realize that I don't love Jeremy anymore; I have no feelings for him. We will never get back together so there is no need…"

Bonnie couldn't finish her sentence because she got turned around in one swing and her lips were sealed up with his. Kai's hands were placed around her neck which made it impossible for her to draw away from him, even if she wanted to. Which she didn't. The hard kiss Kai placed on her lips seemed desperate, like he had wanted to do this the entire night. When Bonnie's first confusion slipped away she put her hands, which had loosely hung down her body until now, slowly up his torso and rested them against his chest. Slowly the kiss turned softer and her left hand found his jaw.

Her thumb caressed his cheek and she felt his hands move down from her neck to her back until he placed his arm around Bonnie's waist and tugged her to him. Her need to be even closer to him grew with the second and it didn't take long and their kiss turned steamier, more demanding. Bonnie felt something hart in her back and she only then realized that Kai had moved them to the side of the stand, the metal now pushing into Bonnie's back.

Even though the party was still ongoing this side of the stands was abandoned only used as an exit point but right now there was no one there but Bonnie and Kai. It was dark in the lane they were standing in because the floodlights on the field met the one side of the stand in a way that created a shadow in the small exit way. If anyone decided to leave the party right now they would walk right into their make-out session but Bonnie didn't care.

All she could think about was how good Kai tasted and how the kiss made her feel lightheaded and it only got more intense. The kiss had already deepened, their tongues dancing. Bonnie had to catch her breath quite a few times during this wild make-out but Kai never gave her a real chance to, because every time she moved apart from him for just an inch he reclaimed her mouth a second later. It felt so good to be wanted like that. It has been a while for her to feel that kind of affection towards her and that it was Kai that was the one showing it made her insides tighten.

Without a hint, Kai suddenly lifted Bonnie up and placed her on the ledge of the stand, adjusting her until she found a comfortable place. She was now eyelevel with him, not that she would see because her eyes were still closed, but she felt an easier access to his mouth. He had placed his hands next to either side of her gripping the edge of the ledge and leaning into her body and Bonnie wrapped her legs around his waist, keeping him in place. Her hands were in his hair and she wished that he would take his off the metal and put them on her instead.

His hands stayed where they were but his mouth didn't. It traced her jaw, leaving light kisses all over it until it continued down to her neck, sucking and kissing. Bonnie's head fell back to give him easier access. Her breaths came out in strokes and she felt like no matter how deep she breathed in her lungs wouldn't fill with enough oxygen. Every touch of Kai's mouth sent little jolts through her body and slowly also other body parts answered to him. If she didn't pay attention she was going to go too far too fast and give into him right here, right now.

Maybe Kai had the same thought because he stopped his actions and let his forehead drop to her shoulder and rested it there. His breath, just as hers, was chopped. Because of the extra weight that was now pressing down on her she had to lift one hand to the handrail next to her, stabilizing their entwined bodies but she didn't dare lifting her other hand out of his hair.

She felt her heart beating heavily inside her ribcage. She didn't want to but she had to compare the way she was feeling right now to any situation with Jeremy. Did Jeremy ever make her feel this confused? Or this alive? Shockingly, her answer to that was a solid no. Even if she hadn't made up her mind about her and Jeremy's future already, this moment would have done the deed. She could never be with someone when there was a Kai Parker running around in her perimeter making her feel like this, kissing her like this…

Bonnie closed her eyes and leaned her head down so her cheek rested against the back of his head. She took a deep breath and breathed in his scent. It was an arousing smell, it was his scent, mixed with the freshness of the early spring night, smoke and alcohol, in a word she couldn't get enough.

Kai's breathing slowed along with hers but he didn't move his head from where it lay on her shoulder. His hands that had been resting next to her now moved along the outsides of her thighs up to her knee – the part where her legs where still bent around him- and back. A sudden tiredness overcame her because of the warm feeling spreading through every inch of her body. She could get used to this.

Slowly, he raised his head and brushed his nose along Bonnie's throat, nearly making her loose her mind. With all the willpower she had she kept herself form grabbing his head and kissing him once more. She closed her eyes form the intensity of this soft touch, as Kai's nose stroke her cheek and he left a peck on it before he drew away from her and Bonnie couldn't feel his face near hers anymore. If she hadn't felt his hands on her body she would have thought he was gone. But the certainty of his touch gave her time to revel in her feelings and only after a few minutes she dared to open her eyes again. Intense and serious blue eyes stared right back to her, their depth beyond imaginable. Even though they were standing in the shadows it seemed like there were still thousand lights dancing in Kai's eyes.

His left hand reached up to cup her face and his thumb brushed over her lips. Kai's gaze dropped to the space his fingers had touched just seconds ago before he bent down and gave her the sweetest kiss she had ever received in her life. Her whole world stopped spinning when he left soft pecks all over her cheek until he reached up to her ear and buried his nose in her hair. Not daring to move an inch because it might startle him and this moment would be over before she was ready to let it go, she enjoyed every second of it. What felt like hours were probably only seconds and so she felt awfully lonely when he pulled away from her so he could look at her face.

She gave him a tired smile and his eyes turned caring. With a quick move he tucked a strand of her hair behind her right ear and said "You look tired."

Bonnie shook her head and smiled. "I'm good. I just feel comfortable and my body mistakes this for tiredness."

Kai chuckled and looked away from her. When their gazes met again he looked more serious. "I think we should go back."

Bonnie grunted. He was right, there were still a bunch of people back on the playfield that would notice her absence at some point – most likely Jeremy since he was probably wondering why the hell she rushed away from him right after he had kissed her. She needed to talk to him and after all they had been through she owed him a civil talk, just the two of them, away from all the drinking and sounds.

So the reasonable part of Bonnie nodded when Kai offered to help her down to the ground again, even though the emotional part was screaming at the top of its lungs not to ruin this moment. But Kai wrapped his arms around Bonnie's waist and lifted her sitting body off the metal, pressing her thigh against him and not letting her out of his sight once. Bonnie finally unwrapped her legs from around his waist and straightened them and Kai softly placed her on the ground. To Bonnie's satisfaction he didn't remove his arms instantly but kept her in his embrace for a while longer, his hands tracing up and down her lower back and Bonnie pressed her face into his chest, inhaling his scent once more before she would have to let him go.

Bonnie's heart thrust hard in her chest when she lifted her head off his chest and his hands stopped their cooing movements. Now they were only standing really close and anyone passing by would only think of them as two people that knew each other well and no one would guess what had just happened between them and the meaningfulness of it all.

"I have to go find Jeremy. I have to talk to him." Bonnie broke the comfortable silence.

Kai tilted his head and put on a lazy smile. "Yeah, you better do."

He took her hand and turned her around in one swing so she stood next to him instead of in front. He then placed his arm around her shoulder like he had done so many times before. A move that used to be so innocent -but now nearly every one of his touches seemed electrified. As they started walking back to the field Bonnie grabbed Kai's hand that was loosely hanging down her shoulder and squeezed it, tugging herself in his embrace. In a slow pace they walked back to the crowd of people partying.

But they didn't make it far as an angry looking Jeremy stepped right into Bonnie's view. "Funny, but I keep walking into you two being way too comfortable with each other." His voice was poison. Bonnie knew it wasn't directed to her but to Kai but he seemed to take Jeremy's attempt of a jealousy act more entertaining than threatening. He laughed and luckily he didn't let go of Bonnie.

"I don't see how this is any of your concern." He responded.

Jeremy stepped closer to Kai, trying to intimidate him with his –for his young age- really impressive muscular body- and only now Kai took away his arm from around Bonnie's shoulder but not because he felt threatened but because he felt provoked. Bonnie knew this look and it meant nothing good.

Jeremy stood only inches away from Kai's face now and his nostrils were flaring due to the rage cooking up inside of him. Bonnie tried to reason with the one person that still seemed like he was calm enough to be reasoned with.

"Kai, let it go." She turned to him and placed a hand on his chest but the gesture wasn't enough when Jeremy in front of him kept on provoking.

"It is ALL of my concern, dick. Because Bonnie is here with me and I don't like when people are taking away my things."

His things? What was she, a toy? Bonnie turned around angrily and glared at Jeremy. "Excuse you, but I don't recall ever agreeing with you that you can determine everything I do. I am not your possession. I decide for myself who I am with and who I'm not with. We don't live in the 18th century where you can handle me like I am some kind of treasure for you to give away or keep. No one will ever make decisions for me, you got that?" She spit out.

She felt Kai's gaze on her for a quick second before he turned back to Jeremy. "What she said." After that he put his arm back around Bonnie's shoulder but not a second later she couldn't feel it there anymore because Kai had stumbled a few steps back due to the push Jeremy had given him. Now Jeremy was huffing in rage, his fists balled by his sides, looking at Kai like he wanted to rip him open.

"Keep your hands off my girlfriend!" he said threw gritted teeth.

"Your what now?" Kai asked, his voice was light. He was enjoying this way too much. "Hate to break it to you, buddy but just a few seconds ago Bonnie has confirmed that the two of you are just like this one Taylor Swift song… never ever getting back together."

"Kai!" Bonnie yelled. She couldn't believe he would just spit that information right into Jeremy's face when he somewhat agreed with her a few seconds ago that she needed to talk to him in private. She wanted to be the one telling him and now, in his angry statem Jeremy would for sure take this information as a confirmation that Bonnie and Kai had something going on and that would only make things worse for all parties involved.

Jeremy faltered a second and tried to process the info he had just received. Finally he came to the conclusion that there was only one person that could verify Kai's statement and that was herself. "Tell me this isn't true." Jeremy demanded to know.

"Jer… this is not the time or place!"

"TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE!"

Bonnie flinched at the volume of his voice and Kai tried to calm Jeremy down. "Easy there, tiger. Why don't you calm down a little and then you two can continue this conversation."

"You shut up or I will rip out your tongue!" Jeremy turned in Kai's direction and pointed at him. Kai only laughed at the ridiculous sight of her ex-boyfriend and said. "Boy, you have some nerve. You picked the wrong time for this!"

"I don't need the right time to kick your ass!" Jeremy yelled, clearly losing control in the temper that was burning inside him. This would escalade really soon if Bonnie didn't do something. She couldn't count on Kai's self-control to kick in and safe the day, hell, she didn't even know if he had any, and she was too small to keep the two guys off each other's throats. So she looked around for a familiar face to come to her aid but it seemed like everyone around them were preoccupied by their own drama.

"I warn you, little Gilbert. You don't want me as your enemy." Kai's voice had dropped some degrees and his gaze had turned dead serious. He wasn't going to take this much longer.

"I think I will take my chances." Jeremy said and the next second he lunged out and tried to throw a punch in Kai's face. But the latter had seen this coming and avoided the impact of Jeremy's fists with one step to the left.

"Jeremy, what the hell are you doing?" Bonnie tried to reason but none of the two were listening to her anymore.

Jeremy had to regain his balance but quickly turned around to throw another punch only to be hit by a very well placed punch from Kai. Everything after that happened so fast. Bonnie only knew she was yelling at both of them a few times before she cried for help. When she finally got a reaction from some guys closest to them, Kai and Jeremy had already been on each other's throats, each one hitting the other numerous times. When the guys finally arrived to go between the two fighting dudes, Kai landed one last punch right on Jeremy's nose.

Bonnie could practically hear the sound of the nose breaking and the next time she looked at Jeremy she could see a stream of blood coming out of his nose. She ran to him as the guys kept Jeremy and Kai apart. Kai had given up the moment the other guys joined in but Jeremy was so furious they had to pin him to nearby wall and Bonnie had to calm him down or else he would have gone after Kai again.

"JEREMY! CALM THE FUCK DOWN! YOU'RE HURT." She tried to reach through his fury and slowly she realized that her words got through- or maybe it was the pain- but he stopped struggling.

"Let him come if he wants to get his ass kicked again." Kai's voice reached her from behind and Bonnie turned her head to glare at him. He was breathing heavily but he seemed to be okay. Right now, Bonnie didn't care. She was furious about the dumb fight they just had and Kai's provocative words didn't help the situation at all. For all she cared, they could both crush their skulls, or she would punch them herself.

She turned around and yelled at Kai. "You're both idiots. If I were you I'd get lost right now Kai, or I swear to god I will kick you to the moon."

She heart Jeremy laugh at that and she turned around to yell at him. "There is nothing for you to laugh about. Make one wrong move and your nose will be the least of your problems." With one last look to Kai she screamed. "Leave!" and reluctantly he took off to the field. The other guys that had helped Bonnie out asked if she needed any more help but she only thanked them and they left too.

Bonnie looked at Jeremy, who was still leaning against the wall, trying to inspect the damage Kai had done to his nose. Bonnie pushed his fingers away from it, a little too rough for a broken nose like that but she didn't care, it was okay for her to see him suffer from his own stupidity. "Don't touch that. Grab your stuff, we're leaving. I have to take a look at your nose."

She turned around and didn't wait for Jeremy to follow her. After a few seconds she found the rest of the group and excused herself and Jeremy. When the others saw his bleeding face they wanted to know what was wrong but Bonnie only promised to call tomorrow and tell them everything before she made her way to the exit, Jeremy slowly following.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Ouch, Bonnie you're hurting me!"

"Don't be such a baby, Jeremy. This is your own fault to begin with so suck it up."

Bonnie was sitting in her kitchen with a cold, wet tissue in her hand, trying to clean up the blood from Jeremy's face. After a quick check up Bonnie realized her fist impression had been wrong and Jeremy's nose wasn't broken. She was a little sad about that because he had clearly earned some kind of punishment. She had been dealing with his nose for an hour now and still her own mood wasn't anywhere near calm. She was still furious with both of them. But now that she was nearly done taking care of Jeremy, she needed to find a way to calm herself down, still needing to talk to him about the whole ending things for good thing.

Cleaning the last of the blood from Jeremy's face he started to speak. "Bonnie, I am sorry about what happened. I promise you this will never happen again."

"I know that it won't because you will never run into Kai ever again." Bonnie stated without any hint of emotion in her voice.

Jeremy's looked confused. "How do you want to manage keeping us separated for the rest of our lives? We are going to run into each other at some point. Unless you want to cut one of us out of your life…"

He stopped as he realized that this was exactly what she wanted to do and suddenly Jeremy realized that the one she wanted to cut out of her life wasn't going to be Kai.

"You don't want to get back with me! It's like Kai said. It's because of him." Jeremy stated.

"Jer, this had nothing to do with Kai. I was actually pretty sure about this the moment you showed up on my doorstep. I… I just don't love you anymore and I don't believe that you are ever going to change that much that I would be willing to try this again. It is over and it has been for some weeks now and I need you to understand that. It is entirely my decision."

He looked at her, not angry but disappointed but when he got up he nodded. "I get it. Just promise me one thing, Bonnie. Stop pretending that he has nothing to do with your decision. It is neither fair to me nor to you." His voice sounded reasonable, like he hadn't expected her to take him back after everything that happened tonight.

"Well, can I at least wash my hands before I say goodbye to you for good?" Jeremy asked and Bonnie directed him to the small bathroom downstairs. When he was gone she placed herself back on the chair, now feeling oddly relived that she had got this out of her system. She was still a little angry but now mostly at Kai, because she had used up all her anger involving Jeremy already. She was going to make him suffer a little for this.

A phone buzzed on the kitchen table but she realized it wasn't hers when she reached for it and felt it was heavier that her own. She wanted to place Jeremy's phone back down when a pop-up massage appeared on his screen and her eyes fell on the message that had been send to him.

Bonnie's eyes widened. She unlocked the phone, thank god he had trusted her with the combination once, and went right into the chat with the person Jeremy had just received the massage from. She scanned through the conversation and searched for the time she had still been with Jeremy. This couldn't be true.

"So, I guess I should get going. What are you doing there?" Jeremy had stepped back into the kitchen and walking into her scanning his phone. Bonnie didn't feel caught or ashamed because what she had found out was way worse than snooping.

"Who is Anna?" she asked coldly.

Jeremy swallowed hard. He stayed quiet because he didn't know how to talk himself out of this when she had all the prove she needed in her hand. To provoke any kind of reaction from him she started reading some massages out loud.

" _A: Hey beauty, wanna hang out tonight?  
J: Sure, if you mean what I think you mean. But I am in Portland. See you tomorrow?  
A: Okay, me and my wet cunt can't wait for your safe return.  
_Or what about this one, that's lovely. _Anna: Where are you? I thought you were coming over later.  
Jeremy: Sorry, I'll be there in a minute, I just needed to see my girlfriend. She is in town this weekend for her grandmother's birthday and she wants to hang out at the grill with Elena and her new boyfriend. Gotta be quick today.  
Anna: The pace is all up to you, cowboy."_

Jeremy snatched his phone out of her hold. Now she could only stare at him openmouthed.

"Bonnie, I can explain."

"Safe it! I actually don't want to hear any more of your lies." She said calmly, it wasn't even an act. If she still loved him maybe she would have been hurt but right now she was only disappointed. He had cheated on her this entire time and still while he was trying to get her back he was entertaining some girl at home.

"Please, let me explain."

"There is nothing to explain Jeremy!" she sounded angry now, but not hurt. "You are a freaking hypocrite. You blame the failing of our relationship entirely on me kissing Kai while you were doing far more with this Anna slut. I don't want to hear any dumb attempt at trying to talk yourself out of this because first I don't care and second I am not that dumb, Jer. You are a fucking asshole for playing Mr. Jealousy tonight and trying to guilt pressure me into coming back to you. I can't believe you reacted like a freaking moron when I told you I kissed Kai, when you knew you had done worse. At least I was honest with you and had a bad conscience but even tonight you had this other girl on speed dial while you were trying to get me back. You know what? I won't even get upset about this. At least I have an explanation for all those late nights 'studying' and you being so hart to reach. No wonder when you were busy banging some other chick. Just leave, Jeremy. I don't want to see you."

She had turned around because looking in his smug face made her madder than she had wanted to get. But right now, her decision to end things felt even more right. Without saying another word Jeremy took his coat and went to the door. Bonnie went after him to shut the door behind him. He hesitated to get outside but with a look of annoyance she indicated him that she really didn't want to see him right now.

Reluctantly he stepped outside and Bonnie slammed the door shut- ending the chapter of her life that was Jeremy Gilbert.


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine: All Roads Lead

Chapter Twenty-Nine: All Roads Lead To Rome

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The smell of flowers filled the air and Bonnie closed her eyes to inhale it and enjoy the silence for a second before it would get interrupted. Sitting on the picnic blanket she had packed last minute she tugged at the end of her short skirt due to the fresh wind. She didn't want to pack anything at all because she didn't expect this meeting to be any kind of comfortable. On the contrary, she imagined this meeting to get pretty rough. That's why her bag was only filled with her keys, her purse and some rubbish, nothing to drink or to eat. But on the last second she still grabbed the blanket, remembering that there was only this one bench near the lakefront and she really didn't want to spend the time waiting for him in the grass. She packed tissues though, one could never know.

The nervousness she felt the entire day had lead her to drive to the lake in record time, now leaving her with some spare time that she used to enjoy the nice day before it would get shitty. Kai had offered to give her a lift when she told him she wanted to meet him at his secret hide out place but she had declined. It would be way better when they could both leave on their own terms.

This place was perfect for what she had in mind for today. It was a place where he felt comfortable and it was kind of a symbol of their closeness since he showed it to her in the first place. Also it was neutral ground and Bonnie hadn't seen a single person while walking all the way to their meeting point. So no one would listen in on their conversation, or rather discussion because it sure would turn into one.

Yesterday, after Jeremy had left she had tried calling Caroline but of course her friend wouldn't be home on a Saturday night. This morning when she finally reached her she wasn't anywhere near the rage mode she had yesterday and so she managed to inform her friend about the occurrences of last night. It was Caroline who suggested she should talk to Kai, because of numerous reasons.

Bonnie had decided that reason number one for seeing him today would be lashing out on him for that dumb fight he had with Jeremy. She knew it was only half his fault but he had still participated in it and it was only fair to yell at him when Jeremy already got his fair share yesterday night. Reason number two would be- and that was still a very uncertain possibility depending on how the first part of the conversation would turn out- finally branding whatever was going on between them. That should turn out to be an interesting conversation.

Bonnie sighed, not realizing how far into her thoughts she had drifted. So when Kai dropped down on the blanket next to her, she twitched.

"Ups, are we a little jumpy today?" Kai asked mockingly scornfully and let himself fall back on the blanket.

Bonnie looked down at him and felt the anger from last night boiling up again. Good, she needed it to make her point. A quick look over his features told her what she had already expected. He was dressed in a simple black shirt and jeans, but instead of his usual boots he wore Converse and his eyes were covered by sunglasses making it impossible for her to see his eyes. Usually he wasn't the sunglasses kind of guy especially not when the sun was only still weak. He was probably still hung-over from yesterday, had probably started drinking after their encounter.

"Hello to you too." Bonnie responded, already adding some spite into her voice.

"Oh oh, I think I am in trouble." Kai joked and turned on his side, placing his head in his palm and watching Bonnie. The nervousness she had felt earlier had turned into annoyance. This guy had to make fun of every situation he was in.

"Stop with all the smugness. I am really mad at you." Bonnie looked away from him and to the calm surface of the lake.

Kai didn't say anything to that for a while making Bonnie look back at him angrily. Due to his sunglasses it was really hard for Bonnie to tell if he was trying to figure out what she meant, finding a way to apologize to her or was just falling asleep, the third option seeming pretty possible after moments of silence. To make sure he really was paying attention she ripped off his glasses.

"Hey!" he protested, seeming like he had been awake this entire time. He tried to get them back from her but she wouldn't let him have them. It was way more comfortable talking to him and actually seeing his reaction.

"You'll get them back, stop being such a wimp and tell me what the hell got into you last night."

"You have to be a bit more specific than that because the night was kind of eventful."

Bonnie groaned, annoyed by his constant need to taunt her. "I am talking about your stupid fight with Jeremy. You behaved like a real dick." Bonnie hissed.

"ME?" Kai pointed at himself with raised eyebrows. "I don't know what you saw but your boyfriend came at me first!"

"Oh, I am not only talking about the fistfight. You had your fun provoking him last night. And you didn't think it would be problematic if you just ran around telling him that I wouldn't give him another chance? He was already pissed and you just had to rub that in his face." She yelled.

"He deserved it. And what difference does it make? You were going to tell him anyways." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but on my terms."

Kai opened his mouth to reply something but quickly closed it again. He seemingly struggled with what to say and it was weird seeing him like this when he was usually the guy who had a comment about everything. Finally he settled on a question. "Why does this bother you so much? You know me and you know that I am not necessarily known for handling my temper. Also, I didn't see you being so angry with Jeremy yesterday when you rushed to play nurse for him and he was as much part of this fight as I was."

She tried to blink away her irritation at the question. Sure, he was right she did know Kai and she did know what he running into Jeremy could have turned into but when it actually did happen she was pissed. Why? That was an easy and a hard question to answer at the same time. She cared about Kai, that's why she was pissed. She didn't want him to do these stupid things, especially when she was kind of the reason for it all. Jeremy on the other hand had just been kicked out of her important-people-list and that's why she projected all her anger at the guy sitting next to her. Also, she figured that a lot of frustration and irritation about their current status and the events that lead to that evening were playing into it too.

"I…" He stammered. "guess I just care too much."

A cynical laugh escaped Kai and he shook his head. "So you want to tell me that you are mad at me for acting out, because you care too much about the boy that treated you like crap for the last months? Does this boy really mean this much to you tha…"

"I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT JEREMY!" Bonnie loudly interrupted.

Kai looked like he had seen a ghost. His blue-gray eyes were stuck on her but they were full of questions, like he didn't understand what Bonnie was implying with this statement. That the logical consequence when she wasn't talking about Jeremy was that she was talking about him. Bonnie used the rare moment of his speechlessness to give him a short update about the events of the night after she had left with Jeremy.

"He cheated on me." She whispered and his eyes turned from confusion to concern but he couldn't react in any way because she continued to explain. "I found some texts from some Anna girl that clearly proved he had been with her while we were still together. He didn't deny it either but… I'm not hurt. I had decided before I knew that that my feelings for him weren't there anymore. I'm just furious that he thought I was dumb enough to buy his crappy apology and take him back." Her head had been bowed but now she straightened her back and sat upright, ready to face the guy that currently had her insights burning and ready to convince said guy that this new information had no impact on what was starting to form between them. She knew this could prove to be quite a tough task.

But contrary to her believe Kai didn't say anything at all. He just sat there, watching her with wary eyes that were rushing over every inch of her face. When they finally settled on her own he only said "I'm sorry."

Bonnie shook her head. "Don't be. Like I said, I'm doing quite well with this. Furthermore it is kind of my own stupidities fault that I didn't pay better attention to what he was doing. Maybe I would have gotten out of this relationship way sooner, but well, I guess I deserve that."

"Don't talk like that." Kai nearly sounded mad but his face was soft and his eyes full of care and her heart jumped a little. For the first time today she felt the butterflies in her stomach when he looked at her. The thick clouds that were dramatically hovering over their meeting finally lifted and made way for the more important things they had to face and now was as good time as any to start making more concrete plans on how they would proceed.

She inhaled once more before starting the sensitive topic but she couldn't even say a single word because Kai had leaned forward, grabbing the side of her face with his hands and pulling her in for a sweet kiss. Instantly she closed her eyes and welcomed the now familiar warmth spreading from her stomach to her heart making her heart-rate increase. It didn't last long before Kai pulled away again and rested his forehead onto hers. His slid down her cheeks and rested around her neck.

The closeness and softness of the way they were sitting there made Bonnie insane and so she cozied up and brought his lips back to hers by putting her right arm around his neck and pulled him up to her. When Bonnie could be certain that Kai wasn't going to break the kiss anytime soon she loosened her grip around his neck and brought her arm back from around his neck, now resting her hand against the side of his neck and feeling his heartbeat just as fast as her own.

The kiss got steamier and steamier and slowly Kai guided Bonnie's back down onto the blanket, hovering over her and never for a second breaking the connection while doing it. Bonnie hardly noticed it happening, only when she felt the hard underground pressing into her back she realized what had happened. Her hands were already in his hair, tousling it. His hands were exploring her bare legs up to the hem of her skirt. It was like there was an invisible barrier keeping them away from any more sensitive body parts of hers, even though her body clearly indicated her that it was more than ready to welcome his hands in her very personal space.

Moans escaped her mouth when his hands once more made their way up her thigh and once more stopped and squeezed it instead of going up further. In her lightheaded state she nearly grabbed his hands and placed them higher up, even though that would mean he would ultimately find out what kind of reaction he had on her already. And that was when her mind kicked back in. She groaned again but this time it was more because of the unfortunate timing her never silent mind had chosen for her to come back and face reality. This was going way too fast.

Kai kept on kissing her with a passion she had never experienced before and she hated what she would have to do next. "Kai…" she managed to get out between kisses. She heard him inhale sharply but he decided to ignore her and keep on going. She wished she could let him.

"Kai, we can't!" Bonnie said against his lips and he abruptly stopped his actions, sighing against her lips.

"I know." His shaky voice reached her ear and she opened her eyes to see the expression on his face. He placed one fast kiss on her lips before he pulled away, turning around and sitting on the edge of the blanket leaving Bonnie lying on her back trying to catch her breath. She pressed her legs together hoping it would stop the pulsing heat spreading between her legs. Already missing his closeness and body heat, she only breathed in a couple of times and then sat back up right next to him. His legs were bent and his left elbow was placed onto his knee so he could stabilize his head that was bent down with his left hand. Bonnie was sitting close to his right and had the perfect angle to see all the emotions passing over his features.

Just like her he was still breathing heavily and he avoided her gaze to manage to get control over it again. Bonnie felt the strong need to touch him and calm him down. "I'm sorry." She whispered instead, not reaching out because she knew that she wouldn't be able to control herself if she felt his skin underneath her fingertips right now.

"No, you're right." Kai lifted his head again, his voice more stable now. "We were kind of going too fast."

Bonnie nodded to that, even though he probably didn't see it because he was still watching the grass in front of him. He seemed to be in thoughts but after a few seconds he turned his head around to watch her and something in his eyes was determined. "So, what are we going to do about all this now?"

She sighed, turning her head away from him. It was easier to think when she wasn't looking at him. "I have no idea."

"Because we can't keep doing this." He stated and Bonnie feared he meant the entire thing she had thought had been building up between them but when he continued she was relieved. "I mean, we can't keep acting like everything is like it used to be. We can't keep making out in the most random situations, not if we don't determine what this is we are doing. We need to find out where this is leading us."

Bonnie quickly turned her head back to him to check his expression. His eyes were still seriously watching her and there was no hint of teasing and hoax that could be found in his face. A smile tried to fight its way onto Bonnie's face and she could only hardly contain it. "Malachai Parker, if I didn't know any better I'd think you are asking me out on a date." She giggled.

"Maybe I am." He replied, still dead serious and Bonnie abruptly stopped laughing. Her mouth was falling open a little before she could close it back up. Again, her breath flattened and their gazes were locked on each other, neither making a sound. Did she really hear him right? Was he really about to ask her out?

He was, because the next second he tilted his head and placed one of those breathtaking smiles of him on. "Bonnie Bennett, would you like to go on a date with me?"

The words got stuck in her through and she caught her breath. For a few seconds she didn't reply and the expression she wore must have been irritating because Kai nervously started to move his eyes over her face waiting for an answer. As fast as her rigidity came, it also left and she caught herself screaming "Yes!" into his face, making him laugh.

"Okay, I heard that loud and clear."

"Sorry." Bonnie chuckled. "But you have no idea about what this means to me." She couldn't even grasp it herself. Her first crush, the guy she had adored from a far all these years ago just asked her out on a date. How unbelievable was that?

Kai drew in his eyebrows not understanding what she meant and she quickly told him that this was a story for another day and tried to laugh it off. He didn't seem totally convinced but he smiled and looked back to the sun sinking over the lake. There was still no other person out there enjoying the beautiful atmosphere which only made this moment more romantic. Due to her romantic side that had been awakened in the last couple of seconds she gave into the urge to be close to him and placed her head onto his shoulder, sliding a little closer to him. He placed his arm around her waist pulling her in even closer and they sat like this for a few moments.

In a moment of weakness she turned her head and rested her chin on his shoulder so she could have a view of his face. What a mistake that had been. Seeing Kai's profile for only a second he also turned his head and she could see right into those beautiful eyes of his. Suddenly she realized that they were too close, their noses were only inches away from each other and if she leaned in just a bit she would be able to taste him once more. And she wanted to, so badly, she realized that it was physically paining her not to do it. Kai seemed to lose all restrain in the same moment as Bonnie couldn't take it any longer. Their mouths roughly clashed together and within seconds their tongues fought a desperate battle with each other.

The hand resting around Bonnie's waist was tightening, trying desperately not to wander underneath her shirt but at this moment Bonnie wouldn't have mind. In fact she would welcome it and she knew that Kai wouldn't overstep his boundaries on his own; she had to show him how far she was willing to go, even though she knew this was unwise. And how far she needed to go was all the way. So she got to her knees, not breaking their connection while doing it and climbed onto his lap. Her fingers were reaching behind his neck, their tips stroking the end of his hair and Kai's arms drew her in a thigh embrace. With gentle stroked he caressed her back and when he slit his hands underneath her shirt, caressing the bare skin underneath it, she let him, with that giving her silent content to go further than she anticipated this day to end.

Kai left traces all over her back and the skin he had touched along the way burned, adding to the fire she already felt within. The familiar pounding in her groin made her turn crazy and she pushed herself into Kai's body so that they fell backwards onto the blanket. Laying on top of him now her hair that fell loosely over her left shoulder tickled his cheek and he chuckled against her lips. The next moment his hands were in her hair pushing it back, all while kissing her desperately.

Bonnie felt his fingers that were still underneath her shirt wander back down and the next moment she had to break apart from him because he needed to pull her shirt over her head, exposing her bra. Normally she would feel weird being intimate with someone for the first time, especially considering the place they had chosen for their little tryst, but because of some reason Bonnie couldn't explain it didn't feel anything like this with him. All she felt was the desperate need to feel him, touch him. The hunger that brewed up inside her was nearly unbearable. The lust nearly overthrew her and she was a little irritated when she felt the wetness in her panties that told her how ready she already was for him. It had been quite some time since someone touched her like that and that it was Kai doing it now, nearly made her loose her mind.

With a rough turn Kai shifted her body and was now hovering above her, caging her in between his body and the ground. There was no escaping him now, even if she wanted to. Her greedy hands tucked the hem of his shirt and quickly pulled it over his head, giving her an opportunity to explore the muscles lying underneath. She pulled him down a little to kiss him even steamier and when he rested a little of his weight on her she could feel his hardness pressing into the side of her thigh. Oh, how ready she was. But of course Kai had no intention to give her the satisfaction that she sought right away. He wanted to drag this torturing pleasure out as long as he could.

He started placing soft kisses along her jaw and down her throat that were the mere contrast to anything that had happened the past few minutes. He made a brief pause when he reached her breasts, reaching behind her back and freeing them from the bra. After he shortly acknowledged them he made his way further down her body. It tickled Bonnie as he reached her bellybutton and she struggled underneath his body.

"Stay still!" Kai groaned and continued his way down her stomach. Overcoming her ticklishness she enjoyed the sensation of his caressing kiss on her skin and exhaled audibly.

Kai had reached her skirt but instead of pulling it down on his way to her vagina, he stopped and looked at her, a wolfish grin on his face.

"Kai…" Bonnie breathed but she couldn't concentrate on anything else to say because he had already disappeared from her view and she could only feel his hands pushing up the hem of her skirt and she nearly went crazy, trying hard not to fidget under his touch. She bit back a moan but couldn't keep it in any longer when she felt his hands drag down the panties that seemed to cling to her, exposing her completely.

Before she could brace herself for the arousal his mouth had already found her opening and after teasing her a few seconds his tongue entered her folds. Bonnie tried to catch a breath but it seemed like no matter how deep she inhaled the oxygen entering her lungs wasn't enough to make her brain function properly. The movements of Kai's tongue made her swell with want and she realized how much she actually needed to come undone, how much she needed him to make her come undone. Every synapse in her brain was on high alert, ready for any kind of pleasure she would experience with him.

But unfortunately he stopped his actions too early. Angrily she looked down at him, suspecting that he would stare back at her with his usual derisive look because he was enjoying himself seeing her unsatisfied. But contrary to her believe his face was already hovering above her face and he scratched his teeth along her jaw, his left hand squeezing her breast. One moan after the other escaped her and she could visibly see how her lustful sounds turned him on. His breath came out in panting and Bonnie was sure that just like her he wouldn't be able to hold himself back much longer. So she decided for the both of them that it was time and grabbed his belt.

Hastily she unbuckled it and opened his pants, reaching her hand inside his boxers and finding what her folds so desperately craved. His erection was unmistakable and Bonnie put her hand around his shaft making him wheeze loudly. When she lightly scratched her nails along his length he closed his eyes and moaned. That was the moment he lost it and pulled down his pants completely, roughly claimed her lips with his and entered her.

They both groaned in unison at the sensation of feeling the other so intimately. Bonnie's head was all over the place, not able to focus on anything but the feeling of him inside her. The fullness she hadn't felt in so long, finally reigniting some long lost life instinct and she parted her legs further to take him in even deeper.

She swallowed his moans as he rocked into her. After a while they sped up the pace and it seemed like they had lost themselves in each other. Bursting into her like he was dying of thirst and she was the well offering the life saving water, she felt her muscles clench more with every wild thrust. She set up her legs and pressed her ankle into his sides when he grabbed her right breast with his hand and massaged it. Bonnie's head fell back due to the arousal and sensation and she bit down on her lower lip, trying to keep her moans inside her because she was afraid of how load they would sound through the space.

Her head was quickly drawn back by her chin. Kai made her look at him as he breathlessly said "Don't hold back." And he placed another rough kiss on her lips swallowing one of her moans.

Everything seemed to be too intense right now, her lust, her moans, the feeling of him hammering into her, it was too much, she would break apart. To prevent that from happening, Bonnie gripped his ass and squeezed resulting in a loud, lustful moan and the increasing of his pace. She felt she was closing in on her release and was fighting against it, not wanting to end it already but she felt Kai's breath come out faster and more flat, he too wouldn't need too long now.

"Bonnie, I need you to come for me." He whispered in her ear with a scratchy voice.

"No, not yet." Somehow Bonnie had managed to answer him and she felt an aggressive thrust in response to her words. He wouldn't give her much of a choice on the matter.

"Please, Bon." He almost pleaded as he kept rocking into her like a crazy man and then she couldn't fight it any longer. Her orgasm was intense and like he had told her earlier she didn't hold anything back. She cried out his name at the top of her lungs and scratched her nails down his bare back, leaving behind scratches, marking him and then she was done. He quickly followed after her, yanking into her a few more times, and climaxing inside her. After that he broke down onto her body, placing all of his weight onto her and burying his face in the crook of her neck. They were panting hard for the next few minutes, trying to regain control over their bodies and minds.

Bonnie seemed to come back to her senses a bit earlier than him and started to caress up and down his spine with her fingertips. That action seemed to soothe him to the point where he lifted himself off her a bit and gave her a deep kiss. Bonnie inhaled deeply finally able to breathe again and returned the kiss just as intensely. When he broke away from her she nibbled on his earlobe for a second making him chuckle. He slid out of her and grabbed her by the waist turning them over so she lay comfortably on him.

A sudden tiredness tried to claim Bonnie's body and the fact that Kai was holding her close, stoking up and down her arm, his nose buried in her hair didn't help with that. But Bonnie fought hard not to fall asleep, she wanted to experience every single second of this meaningful moment. Plus, they were in the middle of a public place, if anyone decided to take a walk along the lakeside…

She abruptly sat up, straightening her skirt that was still around her waist and started looking around for her other clothes. Kai hadn't cared about placing them somewhere near but had thrown them away without looking. So all of their clothes were spread across the meadow and Bonnie had to get up from her place and grab them. As she tried to she felt a hand wrapping around her arm, pulling her back down.

"Where do you think you're going?" he darkly said as she had fallen back onto his torso.

"To get dressed so let me go, Kai." Bonnie tried to get up again but he instantly pulled her back down.

"I don't think that's necessary. I like the view just like it is." He grinned and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, and as much as I would wish for you to enjoy it a bit longer, you're going to have to take a rain check. What if someone shows up here?"

"Rain check? I'm going to hold you to that." Kai sucked her jaw. "But don't you worry Bonster, no one ever comes here."

Bonnie let him kiss her and even deepened the kiss of a second there. The playfulness of it made Bonnie say her next sentence. "That's not true, I just did." And she bit his lower lip with taunt. She caught him completely by surprise with her reply that she could use his hesitation and escaped his embrace to get to her things. Putting everything back on in a safe distance from him she tossed him his pants and his shirt. He grunted, bugged by her sudden need to speed everything up, escaping his grasp and seeming like she wanted to get going. What he didn't know was that she had no intention of ending this day already only because she was putting on her stuff.

The whole reason for getting decent again was because of the risk that someone might see them and also because she was simply getting cold, even though his body heat had given her a bit of warmth that she was already missing. But because he was always stepping on her toes on purpose and teasing her day in and day out, she relished in that moment that she finally could pay him everything back. The intention was to escape him for a little while longer and freak him out in the process but when she was watching him getting dressed she already felt a burning need to be closer to him. When he was ready and was sitting on the blanket, his legs outstretched and his body braced on his underarm, he tilted his head slightly to the side, no intention of coming after her, and watched her closely.

The bastards was beating her in her own game and so Bonnie could only stay in her safe place a few feet away for a few more seconds before she came running back to the blanket and smashed her body into his, thus making him bump flat on the ground. A girlish giggle escaped her throat when he started to nibble on her earlobe and she felt his hands slight under her shirt and around her waist, tugging her to him. He kissed along her jaw and sweetly placed one kiss on her lips before he continued down the other side of her chin.

Bonnie closed her eyes while he did that and when she opened them again she realized that it had gotten pretty dark. It was nearly time to end this. But she wasn't quite ready to leave this safe haven so she cuddled into him more and rested her forehead against the side of his neck. For a few more minutes they lay entwined like that until the sun had nearly set, only the last few sunbeams showing them the way back to the cars. The wind had freshened and a shiver when down Bonnie's body.

"Are you cold?" Kai asked and turned his head so he could see her better.

"No, I'm good." She lied, because she didn't want to go already and she knew he would want to get her back inside immediately. Of course she couldn't fool him and additionally her teeth chattered once and he only laughed, trying to get up with her still lying on top of him.

He managed to get them in a sitting position where her legs were placed over his. Carefully he got to his feet and helped Bonnie up too. Even though she struggled like a little kid that didn't want to go somewhere, he managed to have her stand in front of him with total calmness. He smiled at her warmly as Bonnie pouted.

"Come on, Bonnie, don't be stupid. Are you really that keen on catching a cold by staying here?"

"Maybe." Bonnie answered defiantly. Kai ignored her and lead her off the blanket to fold it and put it back in Bonnie's bag. Now it seemed like they have never been here and it made Bonnie sad. The only thing she would have from this day would be her memory.

Kai placed her bag around her left shoulder and took her right hand to lead her back to where their cars were parked, but he was yanked back when Bonnie didn't move an inch. Concerned he turned around and stepped closer to her, searching her face for a hint to her strange behavior. All he seemed to find was sadness, because the next time he spoke his voice was soft and he reached up his hand brushing it protectively over her hair.

"Hey?! What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She tried to convince both him and herself.

"How about I forget you just said that and give you another chance at telling me what's really going on?" His eyes were stuck on her and Bonnie knew he wouldn't look anywhere else as long as she didn't tell him what was going on.

She sighed and reluctantly- and a little embarrassed- started to speak. "So, I was wondering… I mean it's stupid, it a stupid question. But… our date, do you still wanna go?"

Kai blinked, confused about the question. "Eh, yeah. I mean if you still wanna go."

Relief took over Bonnie's entire emotions but only for a second. The second after that, she felt stupid for even feeling this insecurity about his dependability. Kai still looked like he didn't know what was going on and opened his mouth to get more information out of her when she could witnessed the realization settling in his eyes.

"Ooooh, you thought that now that we slept together I wouldn't want to go out with you anymore because I reached all there was to reach." He laughed a soundless laugh.

"I told you it was stupid." She tried defending herself. She was embarrassed for doubting him like this and wanted to get her hand out of his grip to bring some space between them but Kai wouldn't let go.

"Bon, seriously, how well do you know me?"

"It's because I know you so well that this thought popped into my mind. I mean, you are not exactly known to be the one-girl type of guy." Ashamed and insecure she lowered her head to the ground. But he lifted her chin again with his fingers and forced her to look into his eyes while he responded.

"I don't know if you have noticed but I seem to be doing quite a lot of things that I am not know for when it comes to you."

Bonnie's heart missed a beat before it swelled in her chest. She had no idea how to respond to that so she did the only thing that seemed reasonable - she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. It was a soft kiss not like the ones they had been sharing before. It was short and sweet and she hoped it was enough of an apology for the way she had thought of him. When she looked in his face she didn't see anger or hurt reflected in his features. Squeezing her hand once he smiled and once more he tried to guide her way from the lake. Now that she knew that this moment wouldn't be their last, she didn't put up any fight and followed him.

The short walk to the cars they didn't say anything, just enjoying each other's company. Bonnie held onto Kai's hand for dear life. One could never know when she was going to have to let him go or better when he was going to let her take his hand again. It was common knowledge that Kai wasn't the type of guy that openly showed his emotions or affections. But this moment had been special for her and judging by his behavior it had also been special to him.

In the far Bonnie could already see her mom's car. A second car was parked next to it, one she has never seen before. As they got closer it came more into view and Bonnie figured that this must be Kai's new car. It was black like the old one but it was a VW and not an Audi like the other.

"New car?" Bonnie asked.

Kai rolled his eyes. "It's a substitute. It drives but it's nothing like the old one. But I guess I have to live with it for now." Kai explained while they were climbing the small surge to where the cars were parked.

They emerged between the two cars and before Bonnie could completely start to feel her heart tighten from the prospect of separating herself from him she was slammed into the side of her car, her back was flat against the driver window and her body was caged in between Kai's arms. He was standing so close to her but there was no body contact, which drove Bonnie insane. She leaned forward to kiss him and he tried to escape her to tease her just a little more, but Bonnie was prepared for that and made a step closer to him in the right moment to capture his lips.

He inhaled audibly and then pressed Bonnie back against the car, deepening the kiss in the process. This time it didn't last as long as the other kisses. They both knew it wasn't a good idea to go too far and they also knew that it was time for them to go home- each one to their own. When they broke apart Bonnie placed her hand around his neck and just looked at him. His right arm was around her lower back and with his left hand he traced her lips, the touch sending sparks through Bonnie's entire body.

Oh, how she didn't want to leave him already. She had imagined it to be a good idea to not drive here together earlier. Back when she thought this day would turn in a completely different direction. But right now she would like to go back in time and yell at herself to agree to his suggestion to come here together, so she could have at least a few more moment with him, which could also lead to a sexy make-out session in the car. But now she had to face the stupid decision she had made a few hours prior. The thought came to her mind to ask him if he wanted to come along to her house but she knew what that would lead to and with her mother home… she just didn't know if she was ready to risk letting anyone know what was going on with them. Except for Caroline. The first chance she would get she'd call her and tell her all about this day.

"So, I guess it's time to say goodbye?" Bonnie said ruefully.

"Oh please, could you sound more like this horrible 90s song? A little overdramatic, don't you think?" Kai joked and Bonnie pouted and gave him a light slap on the back of his neck.

"Sorry if I'm being to cheesy for your taste." She retorted and he chuckled.

"Well, I think you are just according to my taste, Ms Bennett." Kai said and leaned down to kiss her again, the way that made Bonnie's knees week.

After too short a time he broke the kiss and only looked down at her.

"So, are we going to see each other on the field trip tomorrow?" Bonnie asked. The history department of the school had organized a visit to a Word War II memorial museum and the history classes of her and Kai's year had been chosen to go there. Mr. Bright himself would accompany the trip and they would all go by tour bus to a place Bonnie had never heard of before. Nothing in Bonnie had been excited about the trip, but the prospect of spending a full day with Kai by her side and a pretty long ride in the bus where they might have some time to properly catch up kind of seemed nice.

"Hm, I wasn't planning on showing up tomorrow." Kai admitted and Bonnie's face turned disappointed so he quickly added. "But if you promise me you'll be there, I might even enjoy that trip." He grinned and Bonnie smiled at him shyly.

"Woe, if you don't show up I'll kick your ass!" Bonnie urged, only half joking.

He only laughed. "You're so cute when you try to be serious." And before she could slap him for that comment he kissed her and incapacitated her.

Mid kissing she sighed because she knew this was going to be the last kiss for today and she never wanted it to end. But of course it ended too fast and after she pulled Kai down in a tight embrace for another minute she reluctantly had to break away from him. They let go of each other and Bonnie unlocked the car. Being the gentleman that he normally wasn't, Kai opened the door and Bonnie stepped behind it. "See you tomorrow then?" it wasn't a real question at this point. If Kai felt anything close to Bonnie, which she was certain of, he would show up tomorrow because he knew she would be there.

"See you tomorrow." She agreed and reluctantly Bonnie sat down behind the wheel and closed the door. She strapped up and turned on the ignition. Before she put the car in reverse she peeked out the window and waved at Kai who was still standing in the same spot watching her. He smiled and waved back and with all the willpower she had, Bonnie drove her mother's car away from him.

In the rearview mirror she saw him get to his own car and she sighed, already yearningly waiting for the next day. Contrary to her earlier believes she drove away from the lake feeling more than happy.

 **Author's note: Well due to the German Unification Day coming up on Monday I had some time on my hand and finally finished this chapter. Took me forever to go through it and there were so many stops on the way but I really hope you guys like it. I can't promise to update any quicker because my birthday is coming up too and my university is starting in October too, but as always I will do my best and try to combine school life, social life, work, internship and fanfiction. Wish you guys a nice weekend and thank you for your support. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	30. Chapter Thirty: Put up or shut up!

Chapter Thirty: Put up or shut up!

It was a pleasure, every single time. It has always been a talent and during the past years it was only getting closer to perfection with all the perfect opportunities people offered. They didn't do it on purpose of course, just like her. She never did it on purpose but it seemed like she was just the perfect victim for his little scares and taunts and he could see that every time he did something like this it drove her more annoyed. Of him or of herself, Kai wasn't sure yet.

He was leaning against the locker next to hers and Bonnie was standing just a few feet away from him, pressing her hand onto her chest and breathing heavily from the near heart attack he had just caused her by stepping behind her and puffing in her neck when she was busy paying attention to the content of her locker. Kai had to repress the triumphant grin that was trying to spread across his face because she had sent him a death glare. Bonnie wasn't enjoying this anything close to the way he did. Stepping on her toes was always the most fun but because he didn't want to screw the day up for them he tried to played nice.

"Oh, Bon you just scare so easily."

"Yeah, but that doesn't give you the right to play on it every chance you get." Bonnie sounded pissed but it didn't bother him too much because he had become pretty good at reading the undertones that always swung with what she said and right now the undertone was playful. Lucky for him because he wouldn't have wanted to have her pissed at him the entire day. He didn't come to this stupid field trip to not have the opportunity to spend some time with his favorite victim.

"Come on, you secretly like it." Kai kept on and Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"No, I most definitely don't." Bonnie smashed her locker shut. She almost sounded believable. Kai stepped closer to her, entering her personal space with the sole purpose of making her mind spin.

"Are you sure about that?" Kai whispered and leaned in so that his nose was brushing her hair and he heard her inhale sharply from his closeness. Just the reaction he had anticipated. With a winning smile he took a step back again, giving her room to breathe properly and react in an appropriate way. To everyone in this hallway they were just friends. None of these stupid losers knew about what had happened between them yesterday and Kai wasn't too keen on letting them in on it just yet.

"So," Bonnie cleared her throat to get the shakiness out of her voice. "You decided to come to the field trip after all. How nice."

"Yeah, someone kind of threatened to kick my ass if I didn't show." He shot her a quick glance and Bonnie smiled shyly, which made his heart skip a beat. It was always this look of innocence with a touch of affection on Bonnie's face that made his feelings go haywire.

Bonnie started walking towards the parking lot where a lot of the students that were coming along on the trip were already waiting for the busses to arrive. Kai followed her a second later, after he had gotten back his grip and caught up with her near the entrance door. In the far he could see Connor, talking to some guy Kai had no name to. He was about to roll his eyes when he remembered that Bonnie was right next to him. Having to have to deal with Connor the entire day wasn't something he was looking forward to. For some miraculous reason Bonnie wasn't aware of the feelings the guy had for her but Kai was certainly not going to let him corner her at any point. Lucky for him he would only have to deal with the guy when they arrived at the museum. The teachers had decided that it was better to separate the students into their history classes for the journey and Connor was in a different class then him and Bonnie.

Kai hadn't realized how deep in thought he had been until they stopped and he turned to look to Bonnie and she wore a concerned look on her face.

"What?" Kai asked.

"I could ask you the same. Where did your mind trail off to?" she chuckled.

"Wouldn't you like to know, little Ms Sherlock." He taped the tip of her nose with his index finger and Bonnie shook her head, a smile on her face.

"You just can't be serious for a second, can you?"

"Depends on the situation, but mostly no." Kai answered honestly. Bonnie was about to reply something to that when they heard Ms. Gibbens call out for her class to gather around. It felt like they were in kindergarten, the way that the teachers tried to keep the overview over the students and he was already considering taking Bonnie's hand and leading her far away from this, bailing on the whole trip but she was already walking towards the class gathered around Ms. Gibbens and he knew he had missed his chance. So he walked behind Bonnie to join the group, stopping to stand right behind her.

"So, listen everybody, our class is going to get into the second bus. The class of Mr. Jermain will be joining us. Please remember, right after we get off the bus we're going to gather again so I can make sure everyone is there." Ms. Gibbens shouted over the background noises and it didn't escape Kai that she threw him a quick glance.

"Why, does she think someone is going to fall out the window during the trip?" Kai whispered into Bonnie's ear from behind. He didn't intent on lowering his voice, so it sounded more seductive than he anticipated but whispering in someone else's ear would do that. Bonnie tried her best to contain her reaction to it. No one else around them noticed but because she was basically pressed into his front he felt her lean in a little more and catch her breath.

The crowd spread across the parking lot once more, rejoining their friends from other classes before they would be separated for a few hours. The two of them stayed where they were, only with Bonnie now facing Kai and stepping an inch away from him to make this whole scene look a little less loaded with longing. While they waited for the bus to arrive, Bonnie seemed to calm down a little. Kai was relieved. As much as he liked making her feel lightheaded, he also liked talking to her with her complete focus on. It gave him the hope that after yesterday, not everything between them had changed. Even though he pretty much liked the changes that had happened- so far.

As the busses approached the students gathered around. Bonnie didn't seem to want to get into the bus too fast and because Kai couldn't care less about this stupid field trip they stayed in the back, avoiding the struggling as everyone tried to push themselves into bus, catching the 'best' seats. Suddenly, Kai had lost Bonnie in the crowd. She had probably just slipped in the bus already and when he stepped in he spotted her, sitting in the back of the bus, gesturing to him to come sit with her.

Everyone settled in and the last people to join them were Ms Gibbens, Mr. Jermain and, to Kai's annoyance, Mr. Bright. The teachers settled down in the very front- only Ms Gibbens took a walk through the bus checking one last time if everyone was on board and then the bus left the school parking lot.

"Let's bet on how many more times the teachers are going to behave like paranoid freaks and treat us like kindergarten kids by checking in on us! I'll say at least 7 more times. What do you say?" Kai asked Bonnie when Ms. Gibbens joined Bright and Jermain in the front.

"Oh, just shut up." Bonnie chuckled. "They are only doing their job. Plus, you are probably the sole reason they need to check up on us. You could have planned a mass escape."

Kai had to laugh. "You clearly watch too much Prison Break." But he liked the idea and if he had had more time on his hand, he might have convinced a few of the students to follow his lead and run away from the field trip. But of course he wouldn't have gone through with it when that meant missing out on spending some time with Bonnie. If this strange attachment to this girl continued, she was going to turn him into a poster-boy for good behavior. Kai shook his head. Bonnie was going to be his undoing. But right now he didn't care, he couldn't imagine anything better than being reformed by her.

"Penny for your thoughts." Bonnie's soft voice reached his ear and when he turned his head to her he found her sitting sideways on the seat, head leaned against the headrest, eyes full of warmth and Kai felt that warmth cross over to his chest, where it made itself a home and continued to spread through his entire body.

He was leaning in closer to her and to his surprise she didn't draw back from him. Their noses nearly touched and his gaze dropped to her mouth, inhaling deep. "Do you have any idea how much I want to kiss you right now?"

Bonnie bit her lower lip but when their eyes met again, it wasn't lust looking back at him but something else, something resembling the way she had looked at him in her patio the night when he helped her build the bench for her mom. At that moment, just like now, the world around him seemed to quiet down and all he could see was Bonnie. For as long as they thought no one else would notice they kept staring at each other. After a while Bonnie, with a shaky voice, said "Yeah, I kind of get that feeling." She swallowed and with a steadier voice she continued. "You know, I am actually happy you admitted of wanting to kiss me and nothing else that might be inappropriate."

"Oh no, don't understand this the wrong way. I was just being polite! I thought you might like to hear that rather than the blunt truth."

She turned her head, a dark smile surrounding her lips. "I don't believe you."

"You don't?"

"No. I believe that it was exactly like you said it, that you wanted to kiss me and nothing more." She turned her head back to him and the certainty in her eyes nearly knocked him off his socks.

There was a silence between them. The other students kept on cheering and laughing but Bonnie and Kai only looked at each other, with an unfulfilled desire to be closer to the other. Bonnie's eyes wandered around their immediate surroundings, checking if anyone was watching. When she looked back to him, her eyes were encouraging, demanding even.

"Don't tempt me, little Bennett." Kai warned her but she only bit her lower lip, this time fully aware of her motions. Kai inhaled heavily. She was trying to toy with him, but what she forgot was that he was way better at this game than she was. Turning around and leaning into the backrest, he left her wishes unfulfilled.

Bonnie groaned. "You are such an ass."

Kai smiled, not looking at her. "I know."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"It was a very risky mission and not everyone was convinced they should actually go through with it, but in the end it turned out to be the government's best decision to…"

"Gosh, this is even more boring than I pictured it to be." Kai leaned to his left and whispered into Bonnie's ear, shutting out the energetic mid 40 year old woman giving the group of students an insight on the outcome of the Second World War. The moment she had heard his voice it was like everything else quieted down to a sole humming in the background. She secretly hated Kai for having such an impact on her because he was certainly going to find out about it- if he didn't already know- and make her lose focus in school on purpose. For the first time she was actually not happy that Mr. Bright had partnered them up in so many classes. Well, she was but not for professional reasons.

"Can you shut up? I'd like to listen." She whispered back and to her own surprise her voice even had a little spite in it but it had no effect on him because she could hear him chuckle beside her. They were standing in a half circle. All students surrounding the guide that gave them the tour through the museum and now the memorial that was build in the huge public park surrounding the museum. It was really nice in the park and Bonnie guessed that a lot of the people spending their time here didn't even know about the memorial.

Kai stepped just an inch closer to her and she had to try and focus her attention somewhere else, or otherwise she would grab his hand or something pathetic like that. She looked straight ahead and only after she had dramatically stared into nothing for a few seconds she realized she was actually looking into Connor's face. He was standing right across from them on the other end of the half circle and instead of watching the guide he was darkly staring back at Bonnie. But his gaze wasn't stuck on her eyes but somewhere in the general direction of her shoulder- where hers and Kai's body nearly touched. Suddenly, Connor's eyes found hers and she tried to smile at him. There was no reaction in his face and Bonnie thought he hadn't seen her attempt at making friendly contact, so she waved at him. Now his gaze only turned darker, more hateful and Bonnie was confused. Did she do something wrong?

There was not even a chance given by her brain to think more about Connor and his weird behavior because Kai next to her was claiming all her attention again when the guide said they now had time to explore the area on their own and Kai quickly took the initiative and dragged Bonnie by the arm away from the others.

"Hey, who said I was going to explore the area with you? This is kidnapping." She laughed but he only tried to shush her, guiding them further away into privacy.

"Don't you dare deny me this, Bonnie! The only reason I am here is that I could spend time with you and you know that."

Bonnie managed to get her arm out of his grip- granted, it hadn't been a tight grip, more like a soft tug- and let her fingers trace down his arm until she reached his hand and interlaced their fingers. She knew there was a 50/50 chance he might not let her hold his hand but apparently being next to Bonnie all day and not really being able to touch her took its toll on him and he squeezed her hand when she grabbed his.

In one smooth swing Kai turned her around so she was facing him directly and without another peak at the rest of the group of students he grabbed her neck and kissed her. The short surprise that Bonnie felt was gone as fast as it had approached her, giving way for the bliss that streamed through her veins now that she finally felt his lips on hers again. She could taste the desperation in his kiss from wanting to kiss her the entire day and now that he finally could he put all his emotions in it so she would never forget how good it felt to be kissed by him. And it did feel good.

After that the time seemed to stand still. They wandered around the beautiful park and ran into a bunch of fellow students here and there but they didn't join them. They stayed separate from them and no one seemed to find that strange. At some point they sat down into the grass, Kai leaning against a tree and playing with straits of Bonnie's hair, while her head rested in his lap. This soothing touch made Bonnie sleepy, but it was the best kind of sleepy one could want to be. When she felt her eyes getting too heavy she sat up and placed her legs over his lap, looking directly into the grey of his eyes. Her hands found the side of his head and she let it slide through his hair. He was leaning into her touch and closing his eyes, visibly enjoying the moment. He left small pecks all over her mouth until they stayed connected for a longer, more intense kiss.

Lucky for them Bonnie had to check her phone because of a text she had received and panicky realized that they only had 5 minutes to get back to the bus. Bonnie was swearing, Kai was laughing, taking the news too lightly for Bonnie's taste and trying everything in his power to slow them down further by kissing her or grabbing her arm and swinging her around. He earned death glares and punches from her for that but also one or two giggles of joy. Of course they arrived 10 minutes late to the bus and Ms. Gibbens and Mr. Bright already waited in front of the bus door so welcome the last of the students with a mildly unfriendly gaze but the two only went to their seat without a word of apology.

They immediately started going. It was already late afternoon when they left for Portland and Bonnie had to pay the tribute to the trip by falling asleep on Kai's shoulder right after they had settled in. When they arrived in Portland it was already dark. Within minutes the parking lot cleared out, only some students stayed behind to wait for someone to pick them up. Kai had to wait for Jo to join him so they could leave together. Jo had been out of Bonnie's sight the entire trip but that wasn't that surprising because she only had eyes for Kai. Bonnie had driven to school with her mother's car this morning and was now keeping Kai company while he waited for Jo to get out of one of the busses. Secretly Bonnie was thanking Jo for taking her time, so now she had more time she could spent with Kai.

When Jo finally emerged from behind one of the busses Bonnie was nearly disappointed.

"Oh, there you are." Jo happily greeted them. "Hey Bon!" Jo quickly hugged her before turning back to her brother her voice suddenly turned wary. "Don't be mad because I didn't tell you earlier but I'll be catching a ride with a friend. We want to grab something to eat before I get home. Sorry you had to wait."

Kai sighed. "Okay."

Jo only watched him, startled by his calm reaction. She had probably anticipated a more angry reaction. "Okay? That's it?"

"Yeah? You need something else?"

"No." Jo said, gave him a peck on the cheek and was gone before Bonnie could notice.

"Well, that was awkward." Bonnie admitted and Kai chuckled.

"That's Jo."

Now the parking lot was nearly cleared out and the busses were leaving. Bonnie stepped closer to Kai and he wrapped his arms around her back, looking into her eyes. He smiled but only for a moment, because the busses had given way for something that caught his attention in the far and his facial expression turned cold within a second and he let go of her.

"Kai?" Bonnie tried to reach him, suddenly worried. She turned around to see what made his mood change so drastically and saw Jo in the far, walking to a car and holding hands with someone Bonnie had seen before. A guy form school but his name wasn't coming back to mind. And then it hit her. Timothy Laughlin. Jo's bad excuse of an ex and the father of her unborn child she had lost a few weeks ago.

Jo gave Laughlin a quick kiss before she got into- what Bonnie assumed was his car. She turned to Kai, his features were ice cold.

"Kai? Hey!" She touched his shoulder. "It's okay, Jo will be fine."

"Jo will be fine?" He repeated angrily. "She is with this douche bag Laughlin and apparently she has lost her memory or her intelligence or both of it the last minute because she just kissed the freak that left her the second she told him she was pregnant. Who in their right mind would go back to person that would leave you right when you needed him the most?" He was raging now.

"Kai, you don't know what's really going on-" Bonnie tried to sooth him.

"Well, I kind of got a good picture. But if he thinks he can get away with this he is wrong. He should really learn how to hide well, because I will find him tomorrow and then he is going to learn what I think about this new chapter in their relationship." Kai said darkly.

"Don't do anything stupid." Bonnie tried to warn him but she knew it wouldn't have any effect on him now. The determination in his expression told her he had already made up his mind and Bonnie could only guess that Kai wasn't going to shake his hand and congratulate him in the hallway tomorrow. No, he was probably going to state his opinion on the two lovebirds in more violent ways.

"Oh, will promise I will do something stupid. I will freaking break his nose if that is what it's going to take him to leave my sister alone. The bastard will wish he had never even met her, that's for sure."

"Kai-" Bonnie tried to take his hand but Kai was already moving and so he slit out of her reach.

"Don't Bonnie!" He said in her direction while he walked to his car leaving her behind. Panic spiked up in Bonnie. She was certain Kai would beat up that Timothy Laughlin guy no matter what. Her brain searched for ways to prevent that from happening but no matter what scenario she played through- in her head it always ended with him beating up Timothy Laughlin. There was nothing she could do. At least not on her own. And she needed to do something, she needed to protect Kai from himself. An idea formed in her head and she turned around to the school and was relieved when she saw the light in one particular room was still on.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

On the one hand it had been a surprise to see him show up today and behave like he had never done before. On the other hand it came to no surprise to him that he was now waiting for this kid to show up so that the busses could leave and get the students back to Portland in time.

Mr. Bright was standing in front of the bus with his colleague Ms. Gibbens. She nervously looked at her watch every five seconds. Of course Mr. Bright was angry that he had to wait for Kai Parker and Bonnie Bennett but he was way calmer than their history teacher. It had only been 5 minutes and for Malachai Parker, especially a Malachai Parker that had behaved so well this entire trip, it was like he was still 5 minutes early. If that was going to be his only riot today, Mr. Bright was gladly going to take it.

Another five minutes later he could make out the silhouettes of the two students. Bonnie tugging at his arm and Kai doing anything in his power to slow them down. One might think something like that would make Bonnie furious but she kept on giggling. The two had really become close the past few months and Mr. Bright secretly was glad for that. No matter if their arrangement still stood or not, Bonnie Bennett's influence on Kai Parker had been enormous and he expected it to grow further. His plan had worked out well.

The two students arrived at the bus and Ms Gibbens greeted them with a death glare. Bonnie had the decency to look down while she rushed into the bus but Malachai only arrogantly smiled at Mr. Bright before he too disappeared into the bus. After Ms Gibbens and Mr. Bright shared a sigh they stepped into the bus and Ms. Gibbens settled down. Mr. Bright gave the bus driver the okay to get going and before he would sit down himself he went through the entire bus, counting the students again and making sure they really got everybody.

On his way he took his chance and asked a few students how they liked the trip and so it took him more than 10 minutes to get to the back of the bus. He was eager to ask Malachai Parker about his thoughts of the trip because it seemed like it had been the first one he had attended in years but when he reached the back seats he startled over the view that presented itself to him.

There Kai was, sitting by the window on the right side of the bus and leaning his head against it. His eyes were closed and on his shoulder a sleeping Bonnie Bennett rested her head. An arm was wrapped around her waist and her legs were spread out on her seat. The closeness of the two made Mr. Bright fight back a grin. Maybe the two were even closer than he had expected.

With a shaking head and a small smile he went back to the front and settled down in the seat next to Mr. Jermain and Ms Gibbens.

"Everyone alive and well?" Mr. Jermain joked as he sat down.

"Well, everyone is there, that's what I can say. If they are all well I'm not quite sure." Mr. Bright replied.

"What do you mean?" Ms. Gibbens asked worriedly.

"Well, at least two of them are already passed out in the back. But at least they seem to be enjoying each other." He grinned.

"Who?" she wanted to know and Mr. Bright knew what he was about to tell her was going to amuse her just as much as it did him.

"Ms. Bennett and Mr. Parker."

"What? No way?" Ms. Gibbens turned around so she could peek into the aisle, trying to catch a glimpse of the entwined bodies of Malachai Parker and Bonnie Bennett. She couldn't see them and that was why she turned back to Mr. Bright to satisfy her curiosity. "But I thought they were only friends. Doesn't Ms Bennett have a boyfriend over in Virginia? I mean, do you think they are… together?" The last word was a mere whisper because she didn't want any student to hear her gossiping about one of them.

"Well, I am not sure but I think it is possible. They grew pretty close over the past weeks, maybe they grew closer than I originally thought."

"Ha, who would have guessed? Out of any possible pairing the two of them would have never come to my mind… but I, yeah, I like that thought." Ms Gibbens admitted and the three teachers laughed. It was a secret passion of every teacher to speculate and gossip about the private lives of their students and Mr. Bright was no exception.

The rest of the drive went by smoothly. A lot of students followed Kai's and Bonnie's example and so the bus grew quieter and quieter up until the time they nearly reached Portland. It was like magic how they all seemed to feel they nearly reached home and all woke up within minutes.

The teachers surveyed the arrival at the school parking lot and within minutes most of the students were gone. Mr. Bright spoke with the bus drivers and thanked them for the day before he made a quick detour to his office. He needed to write a quick report on the trip for the board before he too would head home. He said his goodbye to the other teachers and settled behind his desk. It was only going to take a few minutes to write the report and still he hated to do this kind of work.

He was right in the middle of packing his bag and heading out when he heard a knock on the door and Bonnie Bennett entered his office.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Coming to school felt different today. Today Kai had nearly been eager to get to school as soon as possible to give the dumb face of Timothy Laughlin a new shine. He had confronted Jo about what he had seen the other night at the parking lot and all she had to say in her defense was that 'he was being really nice to her and that Kai should quit it'. And he would have quit it, he was really trying to respect his sisters wished but when he heard her talking on the phone this morning he changed his mind.

Jo seemed to think that she could hide her tear-swollen eyes from him when she got out of her room after they hung up. Kai had no idea what exactly Laughlin had said to make her cry but he actually didn't care.

So now he was walking towards the entrance of the school, ready find the bastard and give him the punch of the century. That would be it, just one fast, hard punch in his perfect white set of teeth and that would be it, without warning, without explanation. He would get what this was about.

The second Kai entered the school hallway his eyes searched the busy corridor for any sign of Laughlin. Though Kai couldn't spot him directly he was still positive he would find him within the next 5 minutes because the guy was so predictable. He always hung around in the same spots and Kai knew these spots because he used to find Jo there. With determined steps he chose to check his locker first but he was stopped at the level of his own locker.

"Mr. Parker, I need you to come with me." Mr. Bright's wary voice reached his ear.

Kai turned to see his headmaster standing right in front of his locker, seemingly waiting for him to show up.

"Sorry boss, I gotta go do something. Maybe later?" he arrogantly replied. What the hell was this guy thinking? That he could show up no matter when and demand to speak to him? Kai had done nothing wrong to deserve this kind of failed attempt at intervention, at least not yet. So without a bad conscience he started moving towards Laughlin's locker once more but Mr. Bright stepped directly in front of him, blocking his way.

"This was not a request, Mr. Parker." Bright raised his arm to lead Kai the way back to his office and Kai rolled his eyes and reluctantly turned around to get to the office. Arriving in the one room he had probably spent most of his high school time in Kai let himself drop to his usual chair, not caring about an upright posture and just slouched on the chair.

Even before Bright could sit down Kai looked up at him and asked. "So are you going to enlighten me on what this is all about?"

"This, my dear Malachai, is about your behavior. I was under the impression that you were on a path of improvement but I think I was wrong about that."

Kai only snorted, turning his head away from Mr. Bright as he kept on talking. Kai only heard the usual stuff he always told him when he had been sent to his office. Nothing that would actually make him rethink his actions and nothing that indicated to him why exactly he needed to tell him this right now.

"What kind of bullshit is this? I have done nothing wrong, Mr. Bright. There is no need to lecture me on anything right now and as far as I know I have done nothing but show up to school for two days in the row, so what more do you want from me?" Kai barked out after he couldn't take Bright's stupid monologue any longer.

"You want to know why you are here? Because I know what you were about to do and I don't care if you did or did not punch Timothy Laughlin today, I will not accept this kind of behavior in my school. So yes, you are hearing me right, I am punishing you for something you haven't done yet in order to prevent you from doing it at all. I know in the recent times it hadn't been easy for you but lashing out on your sister's ex-boyfriend is not a solution, no matter what he has done in the past to maybe deserve it." Mr. Bright yelled at him, losing all patience with him. Kai shook his head and blended his ongoing rant out, like he always did with the babbling of his siblings. Instead he focused on the complexion of his principle turning redder with every ongoing second he kept yelling at him. He heard not a single thing he said until a seemingly subsidiary comment was made by Mr. Bright. 

"-I know the past time has been hard for you with everything that happened and I know it might upset you seeing your sister get back with the guy who left her right after she told him she was pregnant but –"

Kai looked up at him in shock. Mr. Bright didn't even realize what he had said and kept on ranting, stuck in his rage mode, but Kai was staring at him, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he knew about Jo's pregnancy. How could he?

After a few more moments Kai finally cut into Mr. Bright's rant and asked with a dry, emotionless voice. "How do you know about that?"

Mr. Bright abruptly turned silent, looking questioningly at Kai. "How do I know about what?"

"How do you know that Jo was pregnant?"

Silence spread between the two of them. Bright's eyes barely noticeable widened for a second, realizing what he had said in his rage. Kai's brain worked fast. The fury inside him boiling to life. Josette would have never told Mr. Bright about this herself and he was 100% sure that he had never mentioned anything to Mr. Bright because usually when he went to see him Bright was the one talking and Kai was the one ignoring. That only left three more people that knew about this whole thing. This granny, an old woman living in England that had no business calling her granddaughter's principle to inform him about the loss of her child, especially when said granny was trying to help hide that pregnancy from the world. And then was his mother, who promised to not tell his dad and Kai believed her. So she wouldn't tell Bright either because that was the safest way of informing his father as well. Besides, she hadn't really been in the state of contacting anyone the past days. That only left…

"It was Bonnie." Kai concluded out loud and the guilt rushing over Mr. Bright's face was all confirmation he needed. She had probably also informed him about Kai's behavior yesterday when he spotted Jo and Timothy. That was how Bright knew about his plan. The longer he thought about it the more furious he got. Why would she do something like this? How did he not see this coming? And why had he been so foolish to trust her?

"Kai, listen, Bonnie was only concerned about you. She wanted to help you and that is why I made her tell me. I promise I won't tell your parents. I know that your mom can't use stress like that right now."

"You know about my mom, too? Wow!" Kai chuckled angrily. "Bonnie was really talkative, wasn't she? What else did she tell you?" He all but barked at him.

"She never said anything, really. I always had to push her to share, especially when the two of you grew closer. And then she finally backed out of the arrangement to prevent…"

"Hold on. What kind of arrangement?" Kai cut in. He was staring down Mr. Bright who was now getting backed further and further into a corner. He realized he had said too much again. But Kai wouldn't let him off the hook this easily. Not when it seemed like Bonnie had been betraying his trust this entire time. He needed to know the whole story. "Tell me!" he demanded.

Mr. Bright sighed and started talking in a calm voice. Without any detail and really trying to not shine bad light on Bonnie he told him about his approach on Bonnie about her help with him. That he tried to make her his little spy, which he succeeded in for at least a few weeks. He elaborated about Bonnie's visit the other day when he blew up the lap and finally cleared up why Kai's schedule had been changed so much in the new semester, only to make sure Bonnie would be around him more often. It was the perfect plan to trap Kai in a soft prison that was called Bonnie Bennett.

Kai laughed a contemptuous laugh. He couldn't believe what he was hearing right now. And more importantly he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed any of this before. He had run into Bonnie numerous times at Bright's office, never questioning her explanation for her being there. But know he knew she had been lying this entire time.

Suddenly Kai saw red. The wrath flooding his veins made him jump up from his seat and practically run towards the door. He ignored the desperate cries of Mr. Bright that told him to stay put. Right now nothing was important, nothing but finding Bonnie Bennett.

 **Author's note: Hello everyone. I tried putting this chapter out there as fast as possible because I needed to announce that in the next 3 month I am more than unsure when I will update again. I'm telling you this because I don't want you to think that I abandon this story, I won't. I promise. I would never leave this story at this horrible place. I know that school is going to keep me busy for the next months because I am going to write my bachelor thesis and have to do a lot of exercises until that point. I can't even promise to use every free second I have for this fiction because I will need every free second I can get to relax and calm down a little. I am sure a lot of you guys know what I am talking about and I am so sorry to leave you hanging like this but school is more important at this point. I hope I can but up some updates within the next month so that you won't die from withdrawal or unfollow this fic. I am so grateful that you stuck with me until this point. The next chapters aren't going to be too much fun to write because I reached the point in this story that I hate the most but trust me I know what I am doing and there is going to be light at the end of the tunnel. So, until next time (hopefully) and much love to you awesome people, LiLaAir.**


	31. Chapter Thirty-One: The other shoe

Chapter Thirty-One: The other shoe

Nervous. That was probably the right word to describe her feelings right now. She knew she had overstepped her boundaries last night when she went to tell Bright about Kai's outburst but what else could she have done to save him from himself. There was this finality in his gaze last night that told her he was serious about hurting Timothy Laughlin. Even though Bonnie kind of understood where these feelings were coming from she still couldn't accept the action.

So this morning when she woke up to a text massage from Kai wishing her a good morning her heart only briefly jumped before she realized that today might turn into a complete mess. All the way to school Bonnie tried to distract herself form the doom that seemed to be flowing over her head but epically failed. The closer she got to the school building the more nervous she got. Of course she didn't have any guarantee that Kai was actually going to show up today, and even if he did there was still the possibility that Kai had calmed down over night and would leave the guy alone. No matter how hard Bonnie tried to talk herself into believing everything would turn out well, she just couldn't believe herself.

And so she was now standing at her locker, throwing glances over her shoulder every now and then to see if she spotted Kai and if she could see what his mood was like this morning. She packed her bag with all the stuff she needed for the first few lessons and turned around.

The students were all either going to their classrooms, packing their bags or heavily making out against some poor freshman's locker. Seeing those lovebirds on every corner of the school made Bonnie want to take a taste out of her own eye candy. But then she remembered, no kissing until she knew that Timothy Laughlin was safe from Kai's wrath. Bonnie wondered what Jo would have said about the whole mess.

She was about to leave for her first class when she felt a tight grip on her left arm and was yanked back against her locker. It didn't hurt but she was still surprised when she looked up and saw Kai standing in front of her. He kept his gaze away from her but Bonnie could still see how pissed he was. Not the thing she had hoped for to see.

When Kai turned, his gaze still not directly crossing hers, and put one arm up next to her head, Bonnie felt a weird vibe from him. Something she had never felt before coming from him and definitely nothing she would expect after the last few days they had spent together. His obvious discontent about something made her stay silent. She hadn't seen him this way in a very long time and she knew from experience that it was never a good idea to try and get him to open up when he felt pissed. But why was he? Did Bright already talk to him and he figured out she was the one who told him about it? Was he pissed at her?

"Wanna tell me something?" were Kai's first words. There was no greeting, he cut right to the chase. His voice was calm but with a hint of something Bonnie couldn't decipher but it made her cautious not to say anything wrong. This question was clearly asked as a provocation, it was a challenge, a chance to open up about her mistake from last night.

"Kai, I…" Bonnie tried, ready to confess and take all the emotional impact that this confession was going to trigger. "You were so furious yesterday that I needed to get some help. I told Bright about the fact that you were going to kick Laughlin's ass and I know you don't think that I should have done it but it was the right thing to do. I didn't want to get you into any trouble, on the contrary. And I understand if you are pissed at me right now, but it was for the best."

Kai's laugh was forced and when he finally looked up to her eyes, a shiver went across her entire body. She was in some real shit she realized just then. Pure fury was written all over his face.

"That's it? That's all you want to tell me?"

It was like he was playing with her once more. Like he asked a question the answer to was so obvious and Bonnie turned nervous. What did he want to hear from her? She had already confessed to going to Bright last night but that didn't seem to be the one thing that made him so angry. But what was?

"I don't know what you mean, Kai." Bonnie said honestly.

Another mean chuckle escaped him and then Kai punched his fist against the locker right next to her head. He made sure not to hit her, but Bonnie still twitched from the unexpected act. When he talked again he spoke through clenched teeth and his voice had lost all positivity.  
"Don't pretend like you don't know what I am talking about. Don't try and maneuver yourself out of this confrontation."

"Please, I am not trying to do anything, I'm just…" Bonnie was cut short from two things. One the slow realization of what he could mean, if he had just had a run in with Mr. Bright and Two Kai interrupting her.

"So you have never in the past few months gone to Mr. Bright to report everything your little spy ears took in from me, haven't you?"

So she was right. It was about her damn agreement with Bright that she had canceled so long ago. Bonnie was frozen in her spot, only staring at Kai's furious face with wide eyes. Her heart started hammering like crazy. The look in his eyes crushed her heart at the same time and she knew right this second that she had done something unforgivable.

"I… I just… I mean…" Bonnie stammered.

"You what? You got a good explanation for this? Something that will make me see you only tried to do what's best for me? Is that it? Oh, by the way what did you get out of this little deal? Did he promise to write you a nice little commendation letter for a college of your choice? Or did he offer to bribe one of your teachers?" Kai yelled at her now.

"No, no. Nothing like that. It wasn't like that." Bonnie desperately tried to get through to him, to make him calm down and explain to him what had happened.

"Then how was it Bonnie? Enlighten me because I am trying really hard to imagine a circumstance where you would do something like this." Kai pushed himself off the locker Bonnie was standing against, giving her just a inch more space to breath. But she'd rather have him stand closer so she could grab his hand and drag him somewhere more quiet to explain, but it didn't seem like he would let her touch him anywhere. His resentful eyes bore into her own and Bonnie couldn't hold his gaze.

"I want to explain but not here, let's just go somewhere quiet and talk about it." Bonnie said quietly and with as much warmth as she could muster right now but he quickly turned her down.

"Why would I do that, so you can run back to Bright and tell him all about my reaction? I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Kai, please…" Bonnie tried to reason.

"No! I am done playing nice. I am done having regards for your feelings when you clearly didn't care about any of mine. I told you these things because I trusted you and you went running back to Bright. I could have told him everything myself, would have spared you two a lot of trouble." Kai said more quiet now but equally disparaging. There was a short silence but then he asked one more question. "Was any of this even genuine?"

Bonnie didn't know the corners of her mouth could drop even further as they already had, but hearing Kai question their friendship and everything that came on top made her heart stop for a beat and she only now realized how much she must have hurt him.

"I canceled the arrangement as soon as I realized that we were becoming real friends, Kai." She knew this was a weak excuse for her actions but she couldn't think of any better thing to say.

Kai snorted, clearly not buying any of what she was saying. "Real nice, Bonnie. I guess your good intentions justify your actions but let me tell you something: the two of us we're done. Go find some other charity case you can test your NSA skills on, I'm not gonna be your guinea pig any longer." Kai stepped closer to her now, appearing more threatening as ever.

"Mr. Parker!" Mr. Brigh'ts voice sound through the hallway and Bonnie turned her head to see her principle rush their way. Kai didn't move or look away from her even when Mr. Bright reached them.  
"Mr. Parker I suggest you and Ms. Bennett…" Mr. Bright tried to carefully pull Kai away from Bonnie but when he slightly touched Kai's arm he turned around to him and yelled in his face.

"Don't you dare touch me! You are just as responsible for this situation as she is. I don't want to talk to either of you right now, so get out of my way before I forget myself."

"You need to calm down, young man." Mr. Bright said calmly, taking a step back.

"NO, I DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING. I HAVE A RIGHT TO BE PISSED AND BOTH OF YOU SHOULD WAKE UP AND REALIZE WHOES FAULT THIS ALL IS." Kai was so lost in his rage now that he didn't even realize he was actually yelling at the principle but Mr. Bright seemed to have a bad conscience because he let him yell as he liked. It seemed like Kai had said all he wanted to get out because it seemed like he wanted to turn around and leave but before he did that he turned to Bonnie once more, eyes cold as ice. "You are going to regret this."

And then he was on his way. Within seconds he had crossed half the hallway and it was clear now that he was headed towards the exit. There was no holding him here anyway but still a few of the surrounding students looked questioningly at Mr. Bright because he just let him leave without interference. Bonnie wanted to call Kai's name or run after him, making him listen to her but she was so shocked about his outburst that she could barely breathe. She had seen him angry before and she had seen him acting out like a crazy person but that was never with her. This kind of anger had never been directed at her, she had only witnessed it from a far a few times before they started hanging out, but Kai had always been kind and warm towards her. Just a day ago his eyes were full of adoration when he looked at her and now all she had seen in them was rage and anger. With that last thing he had said to her, that last look he had given her she had known that she had lost him.

Bonnie stepped away from the locker and looked in the direction Kai had taken. In the far she saw him pushing some poor freshman boy to the side to clear his way to the exit of the school. The boy slammed into the lockers and seemed to have hurt his shoulder in the process but neither Bonnie nor Mr. Bright seemed to care about that right now. Then she felt a big hand was being placed on her shoulder and a deep voice spoke with a calm she didn't understand could be produced in a situation like this.

"Don't worry, Bonnie. He is going to come around eventually." Mr. Bright said quietly.

Bonnie couldn't reply anything to that, but she thought to herself how wrong Mr. Bright was with that.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Hello honey, I made a tomato soup. Are you hungry?" Abby Bennett's voice rang to Bonnie's ears when she opened the door to her home. She had forgotten that her mom would be home and actually she was a little disappointed that she wouldn't have the house to herself. The entire school day she had been fighting back her tears about what had happened between her and Kai, she had even tried calling him but his phone was either shut off or he had blocked her number, and she had hoped she could slip under the cover of the bed and silently pity herself about her stupidity but with her mom home she had to fake a smile and leave the self-loathing for a later point.

"He mom, I'm not really hungry right now. I was just going to go upstairs and do my homework. Maybe I'll reheat it later though." Bonnie said while she stood in the kitchen doorframe, already ready to go upstairs but her mother just knew her too well.

"Woah, woah wait. What's going on with you?"

"What do you mean? There is nothing going on with me."

"Don't lie to me Bonnie Sheila Bennett!" Abby dangerously pointed at her with the cooking spoon. "Spill!"

Bonnie sighed and took off her jacket while sitting down at the table. "It's nothing really. School was just… it was kind of hard today." And that wasn't even a lie.

"Hard how?" Abby asked while sitting down next to her daughter. Damn mothers and their need to get the whole picture of the emotional span of their offspring.

Bonnie thought about how she could best tell her mother what had happened without spilling too much. She had never told her about the feelings she had started to develop for Kai and she wasn't really too keen on admitting yet another time that she screwed it up. So she decided to go with a version of the truth.

"Kai and I… we had a fight. A pretty nasty one and that kind of ruined my day."

"A fight? What was it about?"

"Mom, I actually don't want to talk about it." Bonnie tried to stand up but Abby grabbed her arm and held her in place.

"Sweety, I can see that this is bothering you and I respect it when you don't want to share this with me but I just want to help you. Is there anything I can do?" Abby asked with motherly concern.

"Only if you can turn back time and stop me from making the worst -." Bonnie had to stop talking because she felt tears filling her eyes. She turned away from her mother so she wouldn't notice. But of course she noticed and Abby got up from her chair and came to crouch in front of Bonnie's chair. Her one hand reassuringly grabbed her hand and the other caressed her cheek, like she used to do when Bonnie was little and hurt herself.

"Bonnie darling, you don't have to hide from me."

And then Bonnie couldn't hold back the tears any longer and fell into her mother's open arms. She cried on her shoulder while Abby caressed her back. "He hates me. He hates me, mom."

Abby let Bonnie cry for what felt like hours and Bonnie was glad that she had someone to hold on to other that her pillow. Her mother didn't say or ask anything for as long as Bonnie was crying but when she calmed down and Abby handed her a tissue to clean up her face she tried to calm her down further.

"There is no way that Kai hates you, Bonnie. I am sure that the two of you can fix this."

"No, I screwed it up. I screwed up major. I can't even blame him for hating me, I'd hate myself too if I were him. It's just… it hurts. I didn't want to ruin everything; I didn't mean for any of this to happen. And now there is nothing I can do to make it right and that means I have lost him forever and that hurts. It hurts so much, mom." Another wave of tears streamed down her face and Bonnie pressed her face into her tissue.

Abby stepped closer to stoke her hair gently. After a while she sighed. "Good god, you really like him, heh?"

Through a veil of tears Bonnie watched her mother look down on her, her knowing gaze irritating her.

"How… how did you know?" Bonnie managed to get out.

"Come on Bonnie I am your mother, I recognize when there are certain changes happening with you. I suspected it for a while now, you always had this certain glow in your eyes when you talked about him. And I have to admit I was hoping for something like this to happen since the day I met him." Abby admitted and when she saw Bonnie's irritated gaze she added "What? I like him, too. Not that way of course."

A chuckle escaped Bonnie. Her mother had managed to make her feel better once again. She was still devastated about what happened but now that she shared her feelings with someone and let out all of her grief her heart felt just a little lighter.

"Mom, what should I do now?" Bonnie asked.

"Sweety, since I don't know what you did, I can only tell you this: give him time. Try and talk to him because problems never get solved if you don't talk about it. The rest, you'll have to figure out on your own."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bonnie took her mother's advice and gave Kai time and space. Not really voluntarily but because he wouldn't show up for school and wouldn't take any of her calls.

One day she went to Jo to ask about him. It took all her confidence because she knew how close Jo and Kai were and she didn't know how much he had shared with her yet. Also, it wasn't only information about Kai she had given to Mr. Bright. She had also let slip that Jo had been pregnant for a few weeks and of course Jo wouldn't be anywhere near happy to find out Bonnie had told Mr. Bright.

Jo had spotted Bonnie from afar when she approached her that day in the cafeteria and she got up from her table and met Bonnie halfway. That already gave away that Jo knew something.

They sat down on a free table and talked. Apparently Jo didn't know too much. Kai had behaved in his usual way and shut everyone out. Since he hadn't talked to Jo and he didn't go to school anymore Jo had figured out that it had something to do with Bonnie. After she had told her that she was really worried about her brother and asked her what had happened between them Bonnie confessed.

She told Jo all about the beginnings of their relationship and also admitted to talking to Mr. Bright. She knew she risked losing another friend if she admitted everything but it was time to start being honest. To her surprise Jo wasn't nearly as angry with her then she expected her to be. She only sighed while Bonnie fought back tears, apologizing over and over again.

"Bonnie, it's okay. I mean it is not but I am not mad at you." Jo said honestly.

"Why? I've been a terrible friend to both of you."

"Actually you weren't. I know you only tried to help and I am well aware of the problems and despair my brother can cause. So I am not mad because I know you just wanted to help. And hey, you had no idea that you would grow so close to Kai when you first agreed to this thing with Mr. Bright. I think the main guilt lies with him. How could he force you into something like this?"

"What am I supposed to do now?" Bonnie whispered.

Jo stayed silent for a while, thinking about the question. "Honestly Bonnie, I have no idea. Kai's emotions have always been sealed to the world. He rarely tells me anything and I was one of the lucky people he let in on occasion and then you came along and I was super exited because he seemed to open up to you. The thing with Kai is that he might not show his emotions but they are there and they are fragile. I don't know if you have noticed but he has some trust issues. And he trusted you, Bonnie."

Jo's words hurt, even though she didn't intend them to be so hurtful. It was just an analysis of Kai's way of thinking and this was no news to Bonnie at all. She knew all this and she also knew that she hurt him. But if Jo had no answer to her problem then no one would.

So when the two separated for class Jo's only advise was to leave him alone and after a while bug him until he finally talks to her, even if that talk was going to hurt her even more. She also promised to try and find out more about Kai's opinion on this.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It had been a few weeks since their confrontation in the hallway and Kai hadn't spoken a word to her since. Kai had been a constant thought in her brain. There wasn't a single day she didn't think about how to fix things with him and it was annoying. Kai had reappeared in school a few days after their fight but he actively avoided her. Not showing up to classes they shared and sitting at the exact other end of the cafeteria. Bonnie's frustration knew no end. No texts were answered, no calls returned. There hadn't even been a situation in which she could have the chance to talk to him.

To get some kind of structure and distraction into her life Bonnie worked overtime at her new job. For the first two weeks she had been working at different events with the catering firm but a week later she had been offered a post at one of the established canteens in one of the firm's biggest clients. She took the job and it was a blessing because she had to work more often and got more money for her car and she also had an excuse for her friends for her weird behavior in the past weeks. She told them she was exhausted and they didn't ask any more questions. But surely Faye wouldn't buy that lie for much longer because she knew her too well. All the more reason to finally talk to Kai.

Bonnie had decided to confront him the next chance she would get. That might only be in a few days but she was prepared for that. Surprisingly she wouldn't have to wait that much longer.

When Bonnie was sitting in Ms Gibbens class and her teacher entered the room, scanning for any missing students she could almost feel the surprise rushing through her teacher when the door got opened and Kai Parker entered the class room on the last second. Bonnie's heart missed a beat and her hands instantly got sweaty from the nervousness forming in her core. Kai looked tousled and tired but also cold and distant. It seemed like he was coming down with something. Of course there was only one seat left so without saying a word he dropped on that chair a few rows in front of Bonnie.

"So now I can properly welcome everyone, and this time I can actually greet everyone that is in my class. What a surprise." Ms. Gibbens turned from the class to a specific person sitting in the middle of the room. "It is very nice of you Mr. Parker to honor us with your presence."

Kai had been absent from her class for two weeks. Ms. Gibbens had asked Bonnie what was going on with him but she didn't feel like sharing anything with her teacher any time soon. Any other student would have been in real trouble but somehow Kai could always escape big trouble. Maybe Mr. Bright cut him some slag for his role in this whole mess. R

ight now Kai didn't even have the decency to apologize to Ms Gibbens for his long absence. He only arrogantly said "You're welcome."

Ms Gibbens wasn't known to be easily annoyed but Bonnie could see her eyes sharpening. She wasn't going to let this go so easy. "I expect more respect from you, young man. You think you can come and go as you please but I can tell you such behavior isn't allowed in my classroom. So you better get your act together or the two of us are going to have a big problem, Mr. Parker. So get out your stuff and PAY ATTENTION."

Kai leaned back in his seat, arms crossing on front of his chest. Oh, that wasn't a good sign. Kai would totally use this to start an argument with Ms Gibbens.

"As you wish." He replied derisively, placing his feet on the table. He was provoking her and it seemed to be working.

"I'm being serious, Mr. Parker. Don't test me."

"What are you going to do, he? Send me to the headmaster, call my parents, give me a bad mark? What will it be? Because I have to admit I am not really afraid of any of these options. So as long as you don't give me a good reason to pay attention, like for example teaching something that is interesting or new to me, I'll behave however the fuck I want."

It was like she had never known him. This behavior was exactly like the Kai before she had gotten to know him. The 'too cool for school' kid that didn't care about rules and did what he wanted, not caring if it was illegal, age appropriate or disrespectful. It was like a punch in the face seeing him like this again when she knew exactly what- or better who- was responsible for this regress in his behavior.

"I bet you think that but this is still my classroom and if you don't want to stick to the rules, there is the door. No one forcing you to be here." Ms Gibbens said and it was so obvious that she was done dealing with Kai's crazy.

"Actually there is someone forcing me to be here and it is called compulsory school attendance." He said smart-aleck and Ms Gibbens stepped closer to him. Bonnie wasn't sure what she wanted to do, maybe slap him or something, Bonnie wouldn't blame her, but no matter what she was about to do she stopped and watched Kai closely.

"Have you been drinking?" she asked, shock written all over her face and Bonnie pricked up her ears.

Kai didn't answer right away. Bonnie couldn't see the expression on his face but she assumed that there was a smug smile written all over it. Of course he had been drinking, Bonnie thought. It was so obvious that she wanted to slap herself for not noticing. Kai's silence was as much as a confession as it was tactic. He wasn't going to lie about it because he didn't care about what Ms Gibbens or any other adult would have to say about his behavior but he was searching for the right way to rub it into her face.

"Of course I have been drinking, Ms Gibbens. I was told that this is how the human body functions, so tell me did I do something wrong?"

"That's it! You're going to have a nice little chat with the headmaster." Ms Gibbens turned around and went straight to her desk, searching for the form to send him on his way to Mr. Bright. Kai only chuckled, not impressed with his punishment. When Ms Gibbens slammed the form on his desk he only shook his head and grabbed it, getting up. Ms Gibbens ordered a student form the first row to accompany Kai to the headmaster's office because she wasn't trusting Kai to actually go there and not just go home instead. Before he left the room, Bonnie caught a quick glance at him.

He was looking at her shortly, dark rings under his eyes as an indicator to how bad his previous nights must have been. Bonnie wanted to get up and ask Ms Gibbens if she could be the one bringing him to Mr. Bight but when she saw the look in Kai's eyes, resentful and unforgiving, she didn't. Ms Gibbens wouldn't have let her take him there anyways. And then he was gone and Bonnie thought that she missed out on another chance to talk to him today.

When the lesson was over she went to the hallway to get rid of all her books. She was really not motivated to finish her school day but her focus shifted when she spotted Kai in the distance. He was getting out of Mrs. Percyville's office, had probably talked to Bright this entire time, and headed for the exit. Bonnie's mind went into autopilot and she ran towards him, leaving her locker and her stuff unattended. Within no time she reached him and was just fast enough to push the door close when Kai tried to get out. He hadn't noticed her approaching but now that her arm was denying him his way through his gaze shifted towards her and for the first time in weeks he looked at her directly and Bonnie shivered from the coldness in his eyes.

"Move, Bennett!" he said through clenched teeth.

Bonnie straightened her posture and confidently said. "No! Not before you talk to me."

He only shook his head and turned around, probably to get to the other exit but Bonnie followed him on the step. "Please, Kai. Give me a chance to explain. I want to tell you what happened." She pleaded while walking after him in a fast pace.

"I already know what happened. No need to elaborate." Barked commands and short sentences was all she got from him. But Bonnie refused to accept that this was going to be their new reality. She cared too much to accept that. Kai had nearly reached the side entrance and right before he could slip out she grabbed his arm and turned him around to her.

"Kai! You are going to stop and listen to me right now!" she yelled and to her surprise he actually didn't move. She blinked away that surprise within seconds because she couldn't lose her chance.  
"I… I know what I did was wrong and I get that you are pissed at me but you have to believe me that "

"Believe you? That's bold. I don't need to do anything, especially concerning you. I already told you that we are done. I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to see you and I really don't need to hear some half- hearted apology and you should start accepting that." He bit back.

Bonnie swallowed hard. "I won't and you know why? Because I care about you. You are my best friend and I want to fix this and I won't stop trying to fix this."

Kai snorted and looked away. "Yeah, best of friends, that's what we are. " He snarled. "Tell me, do best friends betray each other in your definition because then I get why you would think this is what we are."

"Kai…"

"Just don't, Bonnie. Leave. Me. Alone." And with that Kai left the building leaving her behind with a heavy heart. That was the moment she decided she was not going to give up. He maybe had decided to push her out but she had decided to fix their relationship. It was now only a matter of time before one of them would cave. Bonnie turned around and went back to her locker. She grabbed her backpack and slammed the door shut heading towards the exit, leaving the school behind.


	32. Chapter Thirty-Two: Corporate Identity

Chapter Thirty-Two: Corporate Identity

"Thank you, sweetheart. Have a nice weekend." Bonnie's first costumer in over half an hour said when she grabbed her coffee and went back to work. She had already spent 2 hours at , the construction firm she had been working at for some time now. Usually the canteen was crowded with people but it was Friday and on Fridays most people finished up early and left the building around noon. When Bonnie came into work there only were the very high ranked employees and managers being found in their offices. Bonnie always liked working on Fridays because that meant way fewer stress and she could spent her day with her favorite colleague, Lyanne.

Lyanne had probably worked here longer than any other person, excluding the big bosses, but she knew her way around and could always tell Bonnie a story to every costumer that came in. The employees trusted her and every once in a while they shared some work stories with her. She was around 50 and despite her sharp tongue she had a heard of gold and made Bonnie feel at home at once.

"The time just won't pass today." Lyanne said form across the bar. She was finishing up with some dishes while Bonnie checked after the coffee machine.

"It's just one of those days." Bonnie replied, not exactly too mad about the time not passing, this would give her more time not to think of the problems facing her outside this building. "Hey Lyanne, should I go and clean out the stock? We've been pushing this for weeks now and today is really not too much to do up here."

"If it is not too much to ask? Sure, go ahead Bonnie." Lyanne agreed and Bonnie made her way into the storage room right behind the bar. She made sure to keep the door open so she could still talk to Lyanne and also she didn't like being in this room with the door closed, she always felt imprisoned. So, when she entered the room she first had to decide where to start. The catering crew had the reputation of making the best coffee in the entire city and it was true, they were really good but where they succeeded in quality with the drinks they lacked the ability to keep everything organized. The storage looked like a battle field and even after a few weeks of work Bonnie didn't know her way around the tiny room just yet. So she decided to start with the most pressing matter and organize the delivery of the drinks for next week.

It took her longer than she expected to and Lyanne joined her after about half an hour but when she heard someone at the bar she left to go serve them. Bonnie was focusing her attention on where to put all the stuff she saw and didn't even notice Lyanne wasn't coming back instantly. She kept talking to the customer and Bonnie could make out what they were talking about from where she sat.

"Well bite me, if this isn't a rare sight. The high and mighty joining us peasants down in the canteen." Lyanne's voice sounded to her ear.

A deep male voice chuckled and answered. "You over exaggerate, Lyanne. It hasn't been that long."

"Hell yeah it was. But I don't blame you, you have a lot on your plate right now. So, what can I get you?"

"The usual please." The man said in a smooth voice, something about it seeming familiar, and Bonnie heard the bar stool squeak from being pulled back. Form what Bonnie could understand the person must be one of the highly ranked employees. They didn't come to the canteen that much. Lyanne had told her once that they don't like being here because everyone always wants something from them and they can't relax in their coffee breaks, that's why they never show but Bonnie thought that they might not even have a break because she always pictured the managers as being workaholics. No matter what theory was true, it didn't change the fact that serving the important people of the firm was only a rare occasion.

"There you go." Lyanne said while probably handing him his 'usual'. "So tell me, sweetheart, what's going on lately. I am totally not up to speed."

"You know, there is always some crisis to manage, buildings to buy."

"How vague. Anything in particular that's giving you a hard night sleep?"

"Acutally yeah. You know, we have this big project on the line and I need this to work because it is the one project that will convince the board to finally go along with my plans and expanding into international cooperation on next week's event and I was this close to getting everything I need. But we need to get the permission to build on this very old, historic ground and the historical society is filing a lawsuit against us because we are destroying some kind of historical battle field or something, I don't know. Well, as long as this lawsuit is up there, we can't pursue and as long as we can't pursue there is no international cooperation." The man said. Bonnie only understood half the things he had just confessed to Lyanne but she got the picture that that man out there was kind of screwed.

"Oh, honey that does sound like a lot of work. Here, I'll give you a double, I think you could use it."

The man chuckled.

"So, is that why you are down here? Want to get you mind off things?"

"No, I am actually done for today, I am waiting for my son. Want to prep him for the big event." He admitted.

"Oh good that you mention that." Bonnie heard Lyanne approach. "Hey love, I have forgotten to ask but can you work next Saturday? is celebrating their 100th anniversary and it is going to be a huge party. I need all hands on deck, please tell me you'll be there. I think the firm will even pay extra."

"You don't have to convince me, Lyanne. I'll be there." Bonnie smiled.

"You were sent from heaven, love." Lyanne said while going back to her costumer.

Bonnie had already heard about the anniversary and she wasn't too keen on spending the entire day as an underpaid waitress in a dumb costume but she could use the money and the distraction. Bonnie heard some rumbling and then the man asked Lyanne if she could send his son to his office when she sees him and saying his goodbye's, leaving Bonnie and Lyanne to deal with the storage.

"What a shame, I should have introduced you two." Lyanne said when Bonnie came out of the room to get her hands cleaned. One of the milk cartons fell down and the whole fluid was spilled on the floor and after swiping it clean she needed to wash her hands.

"Introduce me to whom? One of the big fish?"

"Not one of the… THE biggest fish in the building. The big boss himself. He only shows up every once in a while, no matter what he says. I have known him for years now, have witnessed his children growing up. Two of them would even be your age. What a shame, he would have liked you. Well, I'll have to see if I we can find an opportunity to lure Joshua Parker away from his business partners next week."

"Did you… did you just say Joshua Parker?" Bonnie asked, not wanting to believe what she just heard.

"Yeah, Joshua Parker. He leads this firm in third generation now. His grandfather founded it and his father was the one in charge before him. Didn't you know?" Lyanne asked.

"Never thought about it." Bonnie quickly turned around so Lyanne wouldn't see the confusion and panic in her face. She had never known what exactly Joshua Parker did for a living. She only knew he was very busy and earned a lot of money with what he did. She had never imagined she would practically be working for him, even though she wasn't an employee of but of Mrs. Riddles catering firm, but still. And when she remembered whom Mr. Parker was waiting for she wanted to run and hide. She wasn't prepared to talk to Kai right now. She was about to go back into the storage room when she heard a silent 'pling' of the elevator and just a second after that Kai Parker stepped out.

There was no way of hiding now. If he caught her in the act she would only give him more reason to feel weird around her, so she stayed where she was, watching Kai move along the corridor of the firm to get to the elevator his father must have taken just minutes before him. He was looking down on his phone and even from the distance she could see that he was chewing a gum.

"Oh, look there he is. Kai, sweetie!" Lyanne yelled across the room and Kai looked up. The woman hadn't exaggerated by saying that she had watched the Parker kids grow up, at least not judging from the look on Kai's face when he spotted her. His face lit up and he smiled at her, making a detour to the bar. When he spotted Bonnie his features turned confused for a second but he quickly focused on Lyanne when he reached the bar.

"Lyanne, how long didn't we see each other?" Kai asked in his usual charming way, leaning his upper body against the counter. It was frustrating to see how nice he could be and how hard he was behaving towards her. Even right now he didn't acknowledge her presence at all.

"It must have been close to 8 months now. But young man, that is certainly not my fault." She fake accused him. "Kai my sunshine, may I introduce you to our newest team member, this is…"

"No need, we know each other." Kai interrupted Lyanne, not giving Bonnie a glance, and Lyanne frowned.

"Oh really? What a coincidence." Lyanne watched Bonnie for a second before she focused her attention back to Kai. "Can I do you any good? Would you like to drink something, or eat? I still have some donuts left."

"Lyanne, you know exactly that the food is only for the employees." He said with judgment in his voice that was clearly playful. Bonnie hadn't heard that kind of playfulness in his voice for a while now and it made her heart race faster without her permission.

"Come on, think of it as my investment in your future." Lyanne joked back and Kai reassured her that he really didn't need anything.

"So tell me, how are you doing these days?" Lyanne asked.

"Well, let's just say I just got rid of some extra baggage. It can only get better." Kai shot her a nonchalant glance and that was enough for her. He had been ignoring her for weeks, only being mean to her and now he was referring to her as extra baggage? Bonnie let out a scornful puff and Kai turned to her.

"You got anything to say, Bennett?"

"No not really, _Parker_. _"_ Bonnie retorted angrily. It was the first time she didn't try to talk to him nicely. She was done trying to play nice when all he would do was being mean.

"Really? That would be a first because we all know how much you like talking to people about stuff that doesn't concern you." Kai provoked.

"Oh, maybe I didn't make myself clear. I got nothing to say to YOU!"

"Finally something we can agree on."

"Kids, kids… I don't know what's going on between you but I suggest you resolve this some other time because we'll have company in a few seconds." Lyanne pointed to the elevator in the distance that indicated someone was coming down. Kai turned and looked at the elevator and the next second Joshua Parker stepped out and stopped mid-step when he spotted his son.

"I was already wondering when you would show up." Joshua Parker's icy voice reached them from across the room. "Let's get started, I don't have all day." He was about to turn around and step back into the elevator when he spotted Bonnie and decided to walk to them instead. "Ms. Bennett, I didn't know you were working here."

"She's our newest member. Sorry, we never had a chance to introduce the two of you." Lyanne explained.

"Well, there is no need for that. I already know her." Mr. Parker gave her a small smile that didn't reach his eyes when he came to a stop next to his son. "So, maybe the fact that your friend is working here is going to improve your willingness to participate more in your duties with the firm and make you show up every once in a while." He added in Kai's direction.

"Don't bet on it. We're not friends." Kai said nonchalantly.

Joshua looked from his son to Bonnie with an analytic gaze and then he shrugged and turned back to Kai, wanting to say something but then stopped, obviously irritated by something. "Malachai, get rid of that ridiculous bubble gum immediately." He ordered in his typical dictator voice.

Kai turned back around so his back was facing his father and sighed, annoyed. He searched for somewhere to put the gum and Lyanne quickly offered him a small table bin. Kai spit his gum inside the bin and turned back to his father, a taunting smile on his face. "Better?"

"Sometimes it seems like I haven't taught you any manners." Mr. Parker said more to himself then anyone specific.

"That's because you didn't." Kai answered, if it was meant ironically or not, Bonnie wasn't sure.

"See yourself off, Malachai. We need to start." Joshua said coldly and without a second glance at her or Lyanne he headed back to the elevator.

Kai shook his head and turned around to genuinely smile at Lyanne and say his goodbye. He even nodded at Bonnie but probably only because Lyanne was watching because his expression was nothing close to candid when he looked at her.

Within the next second Kai had joined his father in the elevator, leaning against the walls only to be pulled away from it by Joshua to get him into a more upright position and the last thing Bonnie could see before the doors closed was Kai looking like he wanted to spit into his father's face.

Her gaze was stuck on the closed doors of the elevator for a few more seconds with a heavy heart. She was about to get back into the storage room when Lyanne grabbed her arm to prevent that from happening.

"You never mentioned you knew the Parkers."

"Well, I know them. Not a big deal."

"Well yeah, kind of a big deal. At least for you and our young Mr. Parker. It seemed like the two of you had some serious unfinished business. What was that all about?" Lyanne wasn't being nosy or something but she just simply wanted to talk to Bonnie about that obvious bad blood between her and Kai. Maybe she even thought she could help Bonnie with this but she wasn't in the mood to talk about anything Kai Parker related. She hadn't planned on seeing him this afternoon and it seemed like every time she didn't plan on seeing him her heart felt a little heavier after it. And today it was even worse because she had been hard on him, barking back and letting herself get provoked by his comments. She didn't want to react that way but he made her so furious sometimes. So no matter what Lyanne would say she couldn't make her feel any better about herself.

"There is nothing to say, we go to the same school and that's it. No unfinished business at all."

"Okay, I get it. It is none of my business but you should know, and maybe I am overstepping here but someone has to tell you that, this boy has it hard for you."

"What?"

"You know what I mean. He may say that you aren't friends but he clearly doesn't mean it. Or otherwise he wouldn't treat you like a total ass." Lyanne said and smiled. After that she turned around and did some dishes, letting Bonnie go back to storage. The thing she had mentioned got stuck in Bonnie's head for the rest of the day. Was she right? Did Kai still care about her and was his spite only a defense mechanism? A try not to show his real feelings? Was there still hope she could get through to him and convince him to give her another shot? All these questions and only one way to get answers, but that way being denied.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When she finally got home her frustration had reached its apex. She had been ranting about the whole situation when she ran into her mother in the kitchen and now that she got everything off her chest she was finally willing to get to her room and try and calm down and get into weekend mood. Due to her extracurricular work schedule next week she had the weekend off and she could finally catch up on all the superhero shows she had been missing this past few weeks.

She was about to settle into her bed and start her binge watching when her phone buzzed. Annoyed by the disturbance she looked at the screen and was a little confused. Elena's name flashed brightly across it and Bonnie didn't hesitate to take the call.

"Elena?"

"Bonnie, good you're there. Are you home?" Elena got straight to the point.

"Yeah, I am. Why?"

"Can you get to skype please? There is something I need to tell you."

"Yeah, sure. See you in a second." Bonnie hung up and opened skype. She was wondering what Elena would have to tell her because recently, after all the break up with Jeremy, her friend had been a little distant. She hadn't even told her about Kai yet.

The familiar ringtone of an incoming call was sounding through her room and she quickly answered it, not only seeing Elena's face but also Caroline's. They were in Elena's room, she could see.

"Oh, hey guys." Bonnie said.

"Hey Bonnie." They said at the same time and smiled at her. Their expression was soft and it calmed Bonnie down. So nothing bad had happened that they wanted to inform her about.

"So, what's going on?" Bonnie asked an Elena and Caroline shared a look.

"So, there was something I wanted to talk to you about." Elena said while still looking at Caroline whose eyes were wide open, silently encouraging her friend.

"Okay?" Bonnie said hesitantly and Elena finally looked back into the camera.

"Don't blame Caroline, I made her tell me and she actually didn't spill that much only that… that you have been going through some hard times and I was so surprised to hear that and then I realized that it was my fault that I haven't hurt about that because I have been the worst friend to you, Bonnie. Ever since you and Jeremy broke up I was trying to hear both sides but Jeremy influenced me in my way of thinking that I couldn't stick to my best friend. I didn't listen, I tried to push the two of you back together because I always thought that you were meant to be but I was wrong and I get it know. I am sorry, Bonnie. I am so sorry that I was an ignorant, judgmental bitch and you deserve better than that."

Silence filled the room. Bonnie was so taken aback from Elena's apology that she didn't know who to respond to that. On the emotional scale, he had already been at a 9 out of 10 today but Elena's words made that number explode and land on an solid 18. Tears formed in her eyes and she couldn't stop them from pouring.

Caroline and Elena both worried about her instantly. "Bonnie, don't cry." Elena said.

"Sweetie, please we can talk about this, we can make it work." Caroline added.

"No, it's not that. I am actually happy to hear you say this Elena because the situation had been bugging me. I didn't know how to tell you and I didn't want to hurt you. Of course I get that the situation is weird for you too but I just… I'm just glad to have my best friend back." Bonnie smiled and they all laughed.

"Oh, I wish I could hug you right now." Elena said and Bonnie knew the feeling. She could really use her friends in times like these.

"So, you want to elaborate why you feel like crying? Does that have to do with the thing you told me about?" Caroline asked after a little while of chit-chat.

"Well, yeah it does. I mean it is just the whole situation and today wasn't really good either." Bonnie started but Elena interrupted.

"Hold on, remember that you didn't tell everyone in this room about what's going on with you?" Elena reminded them.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Bonnie added quickly and then tried to figure out a way to explain to Elena what had happened without hurting or upsetting her. "So, when Jeremy and I broke up I kind of … well a while after that I started to have these feelings for someone else. That was why I send Jeremy away the other day. I don't know what he told you about that weekend."

"Nothing really, must have been pretty embarrassing. He didn't even say how he got beat up, or by who. But I guess he owes that to a certain someone that stole our little Bonnie's heart?" Elena teased and Caroline smiled.

"No one stole my heart, I just… developed some irritating feelings and they are certainly not platonic."

"Oh, come on Bonnie. Spill. I am dying over here." Elena said impatiently.

Bonnie gave Caroline a glance, and she only nodded. "Well, it's… Kai."

Elena's eyes widened and her mouth dropped to the ground. "No way? Kai Parker? The sexy, mysterious bad boy that you had a crush on forever? How did I not see this coming? Did you see this coming, Care?" Elena asked. But her reaction indicated that she was more than okay with this new information.

"Well, actually I kind of did. I mean, you never forget your first love, do you?" Caroline confessed.

"Wow, Kai Parker and Bonnie Bennett. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Elena said and Bonnie's smile died instantly.

"Well, it's not like that. Right now, it is more like ice age between us. I did something and I screwed up my friendship with him and whatever the hell had happened between us in the past weeks."

"Screwed up how?" Elena wanted to know and Bonnie told her about the whole mess. Caroline only nodding the entire time because she had already heard the whole story. Elena looked more than surprised when she told her she had already slept with Kai and that after that everything went downhill.

"And today he openly insulted me in front of my colleague." Bonnie finished her story.

"Your collegue? Is he a stalker or something?" Elena asked.

"No, his father kind of owns the firm where I work at the canteen and he was visiting him or something." Bonnie explained and Caroline and Elena both nodded in understanding.

"So, you really like him, huh?" Elena asked, sounding like she held back on that question for a while now.

Bonnie swallowed. She was very certain of her answer to that question even though the past few weeks had been hard. But if these tumultuous times had shown her anything than it was that she was really, honestly and genuinely into Kai Parker. "Yeah, I guess I do." Bonnie confessed.

Elena nodded, obviously accepting the change in Bonnie's feelings and saying goodbye to her perfect version of Bonnie and her brother. "Then you have to do everything you can to make him realize how much he is missing out on."


	33. Chapter Thirty-Three: Designated Discont

Chapter Thirty-Three: Designated Discontent

Math, he hated math. He hated it more than any other subject because the students seemed to be even dumber when it came to math. So, like every time he attended the class he was asking himself why the hell he would waste his time with this. Mr. Collins' horribly annoying voice cut through his thoughts every minute so he couldn't even try and distract himself with something else.

Annabeth Rosswill had just asked why the root of two wasn't 1. As pretty as she was, she was also as dumb and Kai rolled his eyes because he had to react somehow. Actually he wanted to get up and leave the room but the principle had informed his father about Kai's recent tendencies to stay away from certain classes and Joshua Parker hadn't been too happy about it. It was not that he cared about what Joshua thought or did but Kai wasn't too keen on spending the entire summer in school and that was what Joshua had threatened him with. So at least once in a while he would show up to his classes and pretend to be interested. But it was horribly hard to do so with math and Mr. Collins' way of screwing up every explanation. This guy was incapable of teaching, no wonder all of these windbags didn't know how to add one and one.

Kai leaned back in his chair. He exhaled loudly and started playing around with his pen. The boredom he felt was nearly unbearable. He tried to see if there was anything interesting outside of these four walls and turned his head left to the windows. The trees around the school area were all blooming now and every time you stepped outside this horrible rosy smell would fill your nose. It was disgustingly beautiful and Kai always felt the need to puke. When he was watching a pair of birds building their nest in the tree right in front of the window he accidently lowered his gaze and locked eyes with a certain girl he had been trying to avoid for weeks.

Bonnie Bennett was focusing on Mr. Collins just as much as he had been but instead of looking outside she had been watching him and Kai quickly turned his head back to the board. Annoyance quickly built up inside him like it had always done the past few weeks. Annoyance, spite and something else. Hurt. No matter how much he tried not to think about it- there was still hurt mixed within all the negative emotions he had towards Bonnie. He didn't want to feel hurt. Of course, what she did made him mad and he wasn't anywhere close to forgiving her but the hurt really annoyed him. What else could he do so this would stop? She hadn't even been that important to him, he always tried to convince himself. So why would he stick to these feelings?

"Mr. Parker?" Mr. Collins voice reached through his thoughts, the sound of shuffling in the background.

"Heh?" Kai looked at Mr. Collins who was standing right in front of him. Everyone else was getting up and changing seats or getting out the room. Kai looked around, confused. He had missed something.

"You are supposed to meet up with your partner to solve the tasks on page 67." Mr. Collins explained.

"And my partner would be?" Kai asked.

"Me." Bonnie slammed her book down on his desk and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Kai groaned. "Of course."

"Is there a problem, Mr. Parker?" Mr. Collins wanted to know.

"Nope, not at all." Kai smiled at him and Mr. Collins went on to bug someone else with his presence.

"So, you want to stay here or get outside?" Bonnie asked, not bothering to sound nice. She had stopped doing that since last Friday where they met at his father's company. Maybe he had finally gotten her to understand that it made no sense trying to convince him about how sorry she was about everything. Good, the sooner she gave up the better.

"Out." Kai commanded and stood up, taking nothing with him. If he had to spend time with Bonnie he could at least try and spend it in a better place than this. Kai headed out the door and didn't bother checking if Bonnie was following him or not. After a while he heard light footsteps catching up with him and Bonnie appeared by his side, books and papers in her arms.

"You could have at least waited." She complained but Kai didn't reply anything to that. He had made a habit out of it only to talk to Bonnie as few as possible. He knew he was being bigoted and stubborn but he wasn't ready to treat her fair yet.

Kai headed outside and finally placed himself in the shadow of a tree. Bonnie didn't seem happy about the work place he had chosen but he didn't care. If she wanted to she could sit somewhere over there at a bench and do the task, he wasn't going to help her with that anyways. After a while Bonnie sat down on the ground and opened the books.

"So, are you going to help me with this or not?" Bonnie sounded pissed.

Kai looked at her and then lay down into the grass. "Not really."

"Okay." Bonnie turned to the task before her. It was a little weird. No matter their differences Bonnie had tried really hard to be nice to him all the time. Right now was the first time he felt some kind of reluctance from her since their fight.

The silence between them became dampening. Bonnie had decided to ignore him and do the exercises on her own and Kai wasn't going to stop her. He just relaxed in the grass and would have fallen asleep if Bonnie didn't turn to him once more.

"Why can't you just talk to me like a mature person would?" she asked, turning around so she could face him.

Kai opened his eyes but kept quiet. He was arguing whether to answer her question or not but he gave into the urge to make her feel miserable about this situation. "Because, Bonnie, I don't know if you've realized but I am not mature. I am the definition of immature and I have no intention of taking any of the guilt you are probably harboring inside off your chest, because you deserve to feel every fucking bad feeling. That's why! I am an asshole and I like getting back at people. Tit for tad, Bonnie. That's my philosophy."

He sat up straight to get a better look on her reaction and shortly saw her blinking hard and then turning her back to him so he couldn't see her face any more. Kai frowned. Was she trying not to cry? Did he actually hurt her so much with what he said? A twinge in the general area of his chest flashed through him and for a second he regretted what he said and wanted to get over to her and apologize. But then he remembered, he wanted her to feel miserable. He wanted her to suffer and see what she has done. So he only let out a breath and lowered his head.

After that Bonnie didn't say anything else. When the time was up she just grabbed her stuff and went back into the classroom, not waiting for him to come along. He thought about staying right where he was but his stuff was back in the classroom and he didn't want to leave it. After a few more minutes of laying the grass he got up and returned to the classroom, only arriving minutes before the lesson was over.

When Mr. Collins actually released them Kai ignored his calling for him and went straight to his locker. He couldn't wait to get out of this place and he nearly regretted coming to school with Jo and Joey, so right now he had to wait for them to get home.

The feeling of someone walking up from behind him distracted him for a moment. He half expected a teacher, or even worse Bonnie, to stand behind him when he turned to address the person standing behind him like a creepy lurker but was surprise to see Annabeth Rosswill. She flung her long blonde hair over her shoulder and smiled at him with her Hollywood smile.

"Hey Kai. What's up?" She sing-songed in a high voice that sounded like she faked it to sound cuter. She failed in that task.

Kai raised his eyebrows and looked at her. Annabeth and him had never talked much. He had once dated her best friend for a brief time but that was pretty much all the encounters they had outside school. "Annabeth." He stated and turned back around. Whatever she wanted from him he was in no way interested in listening to it and hoped she would get the hint.

She didn't, of course she didn't. She was never known to be the smartest cookie. With two short paces she got closer to Kai and was now invading his personal space. It was funny because he usually was the one doing that to others but being on the other side didn't feel as good.

"I was wondering if you had any plans for the weekend." Annabeth said casually. Kai rolled his eyes, his back still facing her so she couldn't see. There was really no inch of his being that was interested in spending time with Annabeth Rosswill and he turned around so make her see that, with or without the necessary respect he wasn't quite sure yet.

But she didn't give him any chance to answer because she kept informing him about her plans for the weekend. "My parents are going on this cruise for the next few days and I am all alone in the house. My brother didn't want to come home from Brown to look after me, like my mother wanted him to do, so I thought I would ask a few people if they wanted to come over on Friday. It's nothing big, I wanted to do a movie night and that's it. What do you say?"

A movie night? Really? Did she think he was born yesterday? She most likely would claim that everybody else wasn't coming when he arrived. That gave Kai the idea of beating her to it and inviting some people of his own to make sure this night turned into a disaster but that would mean he would have to deal with Annabeth.

Kai just opened his mouth when Annabeth took another step towards him and he had to lean onto the lockers to keep a little distance between them. This girl was being really forward. Before he could answer he spotted Bonnie down the hallway watching them. She tried to keep her expression unreadable but Kai could see by the way her eyes widened a little and she opened her mouth to breathe in that she didn't like the way they were standing so close and it gave Kai some kind of satisfaction.

Being provoked by Bonnie and wanting to rub it in her face to see her reaction Kai leaned off the lockers and closed the little distance that was still between him and Annabeth. Lucky for her she was a really pretty girl so it wasn't too hard to fake some kind of interest. He whispered in her ear that he would think about it and Annabeth nearly fainted, Goosebumps covering her arms. Kai didn't care about what he said to the girl or what kind of reaction this would have on her, he just wanted Bonnie to see. With hardness in his eyes he looked back at her and Bonnie tried hard not to break the eye contact but she was clearly struggling with overwhelming emotions until she finally looked away. Content, Kai stepped away from Annabeth ignoring everything she said to him and went out of the building.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .

The tear that went through her heart was horrible. The moment she stepped out of the classroom she spotted them standing close. Then Kai leaned closer to Annabeth and whispered in her ear. A smug smile on his face and Annabeth seemed very pleased with what he said, she was so smitten by him that Bonnie thought she might faint but she kept her grounds. Kai looked at her directly and then went the other way. Bonnie knew better then to cry over a guy that clearly didn't care about her feelings, otherwise he wouldn't have done that.

Maybe he wanted to get back at her, maybe she even deserved it and she most definitely would be able to accept it if she would think that after all his acts of craziness Kai would forgive her and they could go back to being… whatever he wanted. But he was doing it to her out of one reason: payback. And she knew Kai better than most people so she also knew that he wasn't going to open his arms to her and forget about everything that happened. She might have been the one destroying their friendship but he was the one destroying a way back to being friends.

No matter the reasonable thoughts that went through her mind it still hurt like hell. She looked to the ground trying very hard to keep the tears in. She wasn't going to shed another tear for something that Kai Parker did, or didn't do. She was stronger than that. She wasn't going to break down form this. With a heavy breath she straightened her body and turned to her locker. She was going to get through this day without any more obstacles.

When she ran into Faye a few minutes later she gave the performance of a lifetime. Faye had been skeptic about Bonnie's wellbeing for the past weeks, not buying her 'too much work' excuse. Also she witnessed that Kai and Bonnie didn't talk to each other anymore. Of course the story had been spread within minutes when Kai openly yelled at her in the hallway. But neither of her friends had pushed her to open up about it but Faye.

She was going to tell her at one point it was just easier talking to Elena and Caroline about it because they were far away in Virginia and Faye lived just around the corner. No matter what Bonnie would tell her, Faye's mother bear instinct would kick in and she would go kick Kai's ass for treating Bonnie like shit. She couldn't have anyone involved in their mess, not yet anyways. Kai wouldn't want that and neither would she.

So Bonnie agreed to meet with her friends in the afternoon to get Faye off her back. It was an exhausting night because she needed to pretend through it all. They went to their favorite diner and had dinner. All her friends were happy Bonnie had joined them, because they hadn't seen her outside of school for a while now. To her surprise she felt a little better when she said goodbye to everyone. Normality was taking away a bit of the pain.

"So are you still going to shut me out on what's been going on with you?" Faye asked as she drove her back home.

Bonnie stayed silent. She thought that Faye might have dropped it after tonight because the whole ride to her house she didn't mention anything. But now that they were nearly home Faye couldn't hold it in any longer. Of course not.

"Faye, I'm fine. Really-" Bonnie tried but Faye cut her off.

"Nah ah. You cut the crap right now, you might fool everyone else but not me. You've been acting weird for weeks and I thought to myself 'Faye, give her time she will come to you when she is ready' but all I see you do is suffer and I don't like seeing you suffer." A brief pause spread the air as Faye parked in front of Bonnie's house. The she turned to her and asked "What did he do?"

"Nothing, really. I promise."

"You promise what exactly?" Faye asked and Bonnie opened her mouth to answer but shut it when she realized she had walked into a trap.

Faye raised an eyebrow. "Come on Bonnie, you practically admitted that something was wrong when you answered to my very vague question. I didn't mention a name but you still answered as if there was only one possibility to who I could be referring to. So tell me, what did Kai do to make you feel so miserable?"

Bonnie swallowed. "Like I said, he didn't do anything. I did."

Faye looked surprised. By what she admitted to or that she was actually admitting anything, Bonnie wasn't sure. She told Faye everything that happened between Kai and her, not even pretending like she wasn't completely into him, it made no sense anyways. When she was done she made her promise not to talk to Kai about all this and to go to him and unleash the beast that can be Faye Matthews. As a response Faye hugged her and Bonnie said her goodbye. She went back into the house and straight to bed. This day had been too exhausting.

. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . .

During the following days Bonnie spotted Kai in school more often. He had a new puppy following him around. Annabeth Rosswill seemed to think that she had a shot with him so she tried to be in his general space as much as she could. She would sit with Kai and his friends in the cafeteria or she would wait for him outside his classroom. At first she though Kai would accept this kind of behavior because he wanted to bang her, because usually he hated intrusive people. But over the course of the week she could see his expression change. He was annoyed, heavily annoyed until one day he turned around to her and yelled at her to leave him alone. That showed Bonnie that he had only done this for show, to annoy her maybe?

Bonnie dismissed the thought. If Kai did this to make her jealous that would mean that he would actually feel something other than hate for her and that was just not the case, Bonnie knew.

Sooner than she could think Saturday was approaching. She didn't want to work that day and she regretted agreeing to it a bit since Kai would be there and he for sure would find a way to make her feel bad. Or ignore her the entire night while flirting with some chick he would bring along.

Bonnie arrived a little early to the company but everyone else was already there. Lyanne handed her the clothing she would have to wear tonight and Bonnie was just glad that she could wear trousers and not a skirt. She wouldn't want to serve to a class of high ranked bankers, engineers, architects and business people in a mini skirt; it was awkward enough as it is.

Bonnie helped get everything arranged. There would be a banquet and after that a casual get together where apparently a lot of alcohol would be involved. Bonnie heard the others talk about the big surprise the boss of had for all of his investors and employees. Bonnie could only think that it would be the announcement of the international cooperation with someone or something like she overheard Joshua Parker and Lyanne talk about the other da. But to be honest she didn't even care.

When the day turned into evening the staff of the catering firm got busier and she got hushed around form one corner of the room the another. The room started to fill with fancy dressed people. Men in suits and tuxes and women in beautiful but completely over the top dresses. She had never seen any of these people and Bonnie had a feeling that the regular employees weren't even invited. What a strange way to celebrate your 100th anniversary.

Bonnie was finally stationed in the entrance area, giving out aperitifs to the incoming guests. She put on a friendly face because she knew she would get a bunch of money for working this night and she didn't want anyone to complain about her manners to her boss. When she walked around the room greeting the guest and handing them a drink she finally spotted a familiar face. Not one she particularly liked but still. Joshua Parker was pacing the entrance area like a king. People were basically pushing each other away to shake his hand and she even saw a young man bow in front of him. If she read it right Joshua Parker enjoyed this little charade way too much.

He was ignoring Bonnie even though she was standing within a few feet of him but he was probably too busy talking to an elderly couple he greeted as 'Bernard' and 'Emily'. Bonnie could only hear bits and pieces of their conversation but she heard the words 'tonight', 'excited' and 'surprise'. Everyone must be really excited about this big revelation.

When Bonnie passed them in order to get to a newly arrived couple she overheard _Emily_ ask, "Where is your wonderful family tonight, Joshua?"

"Oh, my wife had to cancel last minute, she didn't feel well. Josette is already inside, I assigned her to keeping the Brooks company, we all know that they are very delicate people to handle."

"And Josette is just charming enough to do the job." Emily added.

"And where is Malachai?" _Bernard_ asked.

Joshua seemed to hesitate on that one but he finally spoke in a voice of confidence. "To be completely honest, I haven't seen him here yet. I know he wanted to look after his mother, I'm sure he will be here any second." Joshua sent a glare in her direction. Did he think she had anything to do with Kai being late? How ridiculous was that? She had been here for hours and he must know that his son isn't the most reliable person when it comes to responsibilities, especially when they had to do with his father.

Like on cue Bonnie felt Kai approach before she saw him. A second later she spotted a tall, young, dark haired man in a suit walk through the entrance door. His father spotted him as well and waved at him to join him, Emily and Bernard. Bonnie could only get a peek at his expression and she knew that it would be very unlikely that this night would go down without conflict between the two male Parkers. Kai fiddled with something around his neck when he approached the three people, he hadn't spotted Bonnie yet and she didn't dare go there and offer something to drink. She rather took the opportunity and refilled the glassed at a table within earshot, half hiding behind a big fern. But secretly she wanted to watch Kai, because he looked marvelous.

The dark suit he wore complimented his bright eyes and now Bonnie could make out what he had been fiddling with around his neck. A tie was loosely hanging around his neck. It was strange seeing him this formal but Bonnie had to admit it suited him. When Kai arrived he greeted Emily and Bernard, not even giving his father a nod. They exchanged a little small talk before Joshua reached out to his son's arm, expression turned sharp.

"Would you excuse my son and me for a second?" Joshua asked and Emily and Bernard agreed instantly. When they walked away she could hear them talk about how nice Kai was. They clearly didn't know him very well.

Joshua had turned to Kai now, his eyes flaring dangerously, his mouth a thin line. He dragged him to the side which only gave Bonnie even better opportunity to eavesdrop, neither of the Parkers knowing she was there. Joshua's hand rose to Kai's tie knot, straightening it. With a harsh tone he turned to his son, "What the hell are you thinking?"

"Dad, it's just a tie…"

"I'm not talking about the tie, I am talking about the fact that you reek of alcohol!" Joshua hissed.

"Not possible, I stopped drinking hours ago." Kai joked but his father didn't take it very well.

"I am not in the mood for any of your shenanigans, Malachai. This is a very important night and you can't be running around like an alcoholic. I am going to present you as my successor tonight and it would be really shameful if you would fall off the stage due to your current state."

"You're gonna do what now?" Kai asked with raised eyebrows. The two men were practically the same height so Kai was able to stare his father directly in the eyes as he asked the question.

"I am going to introduce you officially as my successor so I need to you bring your A game, you hear me?"

"And when did you think you were going to tell me about this brilliant plan of yours?" Kai bit back.

"Don't even try and turn this around making me the bad guy. We talked about this a thousand times. We are going to honor the tradition of this company and you are going to take over one day. Don't even think about sabotaging this." Joshua said, sounding almost diabolical.

Kai shook his head, he was pissed Bonnie could tell. "Tell me, which discussion about this topic made you think that I would agree to any of this?"

"Don't make a scene. You know exactly why I didn't tell you in the first place." Joshua said finally. "And now go get to a restroom and make yourself presentable. I am awaiting you back at the banquet in 10 minutes, are we clear?" But Joshua didn't wait for Kai to answer.

When he was out of earshot Kai darkly said "Crystal" and glared after his father. Bonnie didn't dare to move. What she had just overheard was completely news to her. It seemed like Kai's dad wanted to force his son into taking over the company at one point but she knew Kai well enough that working in a construction firm wasn't what he wanted to do with his life. With a clenched jaw he turned his head and spotted Bonnie at the table.

Bonnie swallowed, already waiting for Kai to unleash his anger on her but he only looked at her, eyes completely blank and after a moment he just walked away. Bonnie breathed out a breath she didn't know she was holding and went back into the room, offering Champaign to the guests.

 **Author's note: Hello guys. Thanks for being such a patient bunch and waiting for my lazy ass to update. I have used a bit of my free time to write some chapters so I can at least update this story on a relatively regular basis. So I can kind of promise there is going to be an update at least once a month until February. So next chapter is going to pick up where this one left off. The celebration is not over yet and there is still something waiting for you. Thanks for reading. Until next time.**


	34. Chapter Thirty-Four: Confrontation

Chapter Thirty-Four: Confrontation

The banquet went on smoothly. Bonnie made sure to stay on the opposite side of the room as the three Parkers. She was serving a few of the lower ranked guests and she was glad about it. Kai had attended the banquet half an hour after his encounter with his father. Joshua had only glared at his son when he sat down next to Jo.

Even though there were over 200 people in the room, Bonnie hadn't anticipated this dinner to drag out so long. After two hours her boss finally permitted them to get out the desert. Bonnie was already pretty exhausted, she had been working for more than 7 hours straight and her feet started to hurt like a bitch.

Most of the guest were already standing up and mingled with some acquaintances sitting on another table. The atmosphere was frisky and the music playing in the background only added to that feeling. As she started to get all the dirty dished out of the room she nearly bumped into a woman. Only after she apologized exaggeratedly she recognized it was Jo. Jo smiled at her brightly and waved at her as a substitute of hugging her because Bonnie was working.

"Already heard you are working at dad's company." Jo said.

"Well, I'm working at his company, not for him." Bonnie corrected while she kept on walking to the kitchen. Jo followed her.

"So how long have you been working today?" Jo asked.

"For hours, I can't even feel my feet anymore." Bonnie complained and disappeared into the kitchen. When she got back out she half expected Jo to be gone but she was still waiting for her.

"Is it even allowed for you to talk to me?" Bonnie jokingly asked.

"This is not the 1500s and I am not the queen of England. I can talk to whoever I want to, Bonnie." Jo laughed and then she added. "Why don't you ask your boss for a break?"

Bonnie abruptly stopped walking and turned around to face Jo. "Why?" she asked skeptically.

Jo sighed. Bonnie had obviously caught her. "Alright, I might need a small favor from you Bonnie." She admitted and when Bonnie didn't say anything she continued. "Okay, a big favor. You know… Kai is in a very bad mood tonight." She started to explain.

Bonnie frowned. "Kai is always in a bad mood. What could I do to change that?"

"Well, let's say he is especially moody today. Dad just told him he was going to introduce him as his heir." Jo said but this was no news to Bonnie. "Since I can remember dad always said that Kai was going to take over the company one day, as dad had from my grandpa. He always said that it was tradition that the eldest son took over. But he always failed to hear Kai's view on all this. As you might imagine, he doesn't really want to be the leader of anything my dad had a say in. This is one of the reasons why they don't get along. Dad had always pushed Kai into this role and Kai had always retaliated."

This news got Bonnie to understand him a little bit better than before and she nodded. "That explains a lot. But I don't know how I could be of any help with that."

"Well, that's it. Kai is gone. I know he is not completely gone, all his stuff is still here, I already checked. But he went to the restroom half an hour ago and he hasn't returned yet. I don't want him to be pushed into something he doesn't want to do but I know he is plotting something to embarrass our father later, to make him pay for tricking him into this. I can't have that. Dad is going to be furious and is going to punish him. You know how he is, he is going to do something stupid and I need you to find him and convince him that he shouldn't. You are the only one he is going to listen to." Jo was pleading now.

"I don't know Jo. It is not like we are on good terms right now." Bonnie tried to wiggle her way out of this.

"Please, Bonnie. I just want to protect him." Jo looked at her pleadingly; hope spread all over her features and Bonnie caved. She cared about Kai, even if they were on the outs right now she still wanted to protect him.

"Okay, I see if I can get a few minutes off." Bonnie declared and Jo hugged her thankfully.

Bonnie went to find her boss and asked for a break. She grated it to her, telling her to take her time because she was doing such hard work and she still needed her to function for a few more hours. So if she needed an hour to herself she would get it.

Bonnie went back to Jo and said she was going to look for Kai. She had started to know the building quite well since she worked here and Jo told her she would look in the lower levels while Bonnie should take a look in the upper levels of the building.

Bonnie went to the elevator and was about to push the button to get it opened when she realized that one of the two elevators was stuck on the 30th floor, the highest level you could get to through this elevator and Bonnie wondered who would want to go there in the middle of a celebration and came to one conclusion: someone who couldn't get further away from all this.

Bonnie finally pressed the button and stepped into the elevator. She pushed the 30. When she reached the level she stepped out and looked around. It was the level where the canteen was located but she didn't find Kai sitting at the bar like she had expected him to. When she turned around to search for signs of his whereabouts she found the other elevator that reached to the office of Joshua Parker and all the other important people in the firm she realized Kai had gone even higher up. She rushed to the elevator and waited for it to come down. She pushed the highest number there was, in hopes it would take her to where she wanted to go: the roof.

During her time here she had never used this elevator before. She didn't have to since it was kind of the restricted area of the building. When the doors opened Bonnie found herself in a small staircase. A few steps went upstairs and Bonnie could see a huge white door up there. This must be it.

Slowly, Bonnie went upstairs and pushed the door open. The wind greeted her with a heavy gust that made her hair tousled. The light up here was dim. The heavy clouds that had been covering the sky all day didn't help while the sun was already setting. Bonnie spotted Kai sitting near the edge of the roof on some sort of junction box. The floor was covered with little stones which made it impossible for her to get to him unheard. After a few strays Kai turned his head in her direction.

"Hey there. Mind if I sit?" Bonnie asked casually.

Kai eyed her for a while longer but didn't say anything when he turned his head back to face the city. Bonnie took his silence as agreement and placed herself next to him. The view was astonishing. The lights of the city were just about to get turned on and with the height of the building she could oversee the whole town. This reminded her heavily of another moment she had spent with Kai on a rooftop, but back then they had just become friends and had spend an entire day doing crazy things. She missed those days.

"Wow, and I thought the view from our school was breathtaking. Guess you should have taken me here instead." Bonnie tried to break the silence but Kai's gaze was stuck on something in the far and his mouth was kept shot. Bonnie watched him from the close for the first time today. When she thought he looked dashing earlier she was convinced otherwise now. The heavy bags under his eyes showed of little sleep and his pale skin made him look sick. His eyes were blank and stuck to nowhere. Bonnie knew part of it was because he had been drinking but something told her there was more to this.

"Taking a little break from all these people down there? I know you're not exactly the friend of mass gatherings like this." Bonnie tried to get to him.

"What are you doing here, Bonnie?" He said emotionless while still facing the city.

"I'm actually taking a break, thought I could have some lone time up here but hey-" she bumped into his side."There you are."

He finally turned to face her. "Oh cut the crap. You are supposed to make sure I don't do anything stupid. Who put you up to this? Jo? Or dad?"

Bonnie hesitated then she sighed. "Jo, actually. But just because she made me aware of your absence doesn't mean I'm not concerned about you." She tried to defend herself.

"There is nothing to be concerned about." Kai shook his head.

"Obviously." Bonnie said sarcastically and she even earned a small smile from him. His first honest smile for her in weeks. "Why did you even come to this thing?" Bonnie asked. She had wondered why he would agree to something like this in the first place. Of course Joshua was known to get what he wants especially concerning his children but Kai was never one to follow orders.

"I was tricked. He told me if I came today that would release me from the duty for the rest of the year. And then he said mom would want me to go… blah blah blah. What a huge mistake." He lowered his head.

"You never told me that your dad wants you to be his heir." Bonnie mentioned after a brief silence.

"Why would I? It was unnerving enough to deal with my dad about this. I took every opportunity to get my mind off it and you were basically the definition of distraction. Plus, I never intended to go through with it in the first place."

For the first time in weeks they had a normal conversation and Bonnie was grateful for that. It was a step in the right way and he had practically admitted to caring about her with this. Bonnie didn't know what to say to that. She didn't want to risk the fragile opportunity of taking a step towards each other.

"Well, it will be quite the event when your dad opens up about it. The surprise everyone is waiting for." She finally said, trying to lighten the mood with sarcasm.

"You know, I came here thinking that the surprise was going to be my father informing everyone about the international cooperation he just landed last week." Kai rolled his eyes.

Bonnie's attention got spiked and she turned to him. "I thought there was a lawsuit filed against the company so the cooperation would be delayed."

"What?" Kai looked at her as if she just spoke in Spanish. "How do you know this?"

"I overheard him talking to Lyanne about this. Some sort of historical grounds that they want to build on or something. Well, he said as long as there is a lawsuit against the firm there wouldn't be a cooperation." Bonnie reported as Kai processed the news. The look on his face turned triumphant.

"Kai, please you have to promise me not use this information in any way." Bonnie urged.

"I won't." But his smiled said the opposite.

"Kai, please. Promise me."

Kai looked her in the eyes and said. "I promise." There was some sort of relief flooding her system because he had never lied to her and she was sure that no matter what they felt for each other right now, he never would.

The wind was increasing and Bonnie shivered in her thin white blouse.

"You should go back inside." Kai suggested without the concern he usually had in his voice.

Bonnie shook her head. "No, I'm good. I still got a little time left."

Kai laughed a humorless laugh. "You are supposed to make sure I get back down there, aren't you?"

"No, I am just supposed to keep you from doing anything stupid. No one ever said anything about getting you back down there." Bonnie joked and smiled. Kai didn't but his eyes were telling another story, he was enjoying this little banter. After a while Bonnie tried to use the opportunity and talk to him about their more pressing problems.

"Are you going to show me the cold shoulder till the end of all days?"

"Nope, only until we graduate. After that we'll go our separate ways and never see each other again anyways." Kai explained and no matter how light it sounded Bonnie felt like he meant it.

It was her time to lower her head. The hurt that was so intense right now and made her unable to move. So they sat silently for minutes, the wind the only thing being heard until Bonnie turned to him to take her last chance to reason with him. With warmth and lightness in her voice she started talking. "You know I had a crush on you in junior high?" Bonnie asked and Kai suddenly turned his head in surprise. "You were literally my first experience in the field of love. I mean, it was probably never love back then I was way too young for it. But still. And after I fell for Jeremy I never really liked you. You were smug, a pain in everyone's ass and arrogant as hell. I didn't like your attitude and the way you spoke to people, especially adults. I thought you were just a mean person and that was why I didn't want to do the history assignment with you in the first place. But then I got to know you. I understood that your behavior wasn't meant to be harmful, it was just who you are. It's a game to you, provoking people's reactions and I accepted it. That gave me a whole different angle on you. I opened up, I gave you a chance and I really got to know you. I considered you a friend and then I realized that that word was just not enough for what I felt for you. You are my best friend and I can say that even after the short time we had together because you were making me feel free. You made me laugh, you were there for me in my worst days, you fought for me and you let me in. I never thanked you for that." Bonnie swallowed before she continued.

"I never anticipated that there could me more between us and to be honest it completely caught me off guard. That's why it was so intense for me. Whatever it was we had, or what it could have been I know I ruined that. I ruined our friendship and the worst part is that I ruined your trust. Your trust in me, your trust in humans in general. I never apologized for that. I need you to know that I am sorry, for what I did. If I could go back and change it I would because I think we could have been a great thing, no matter how. I know I can't force you to forgive me and I won't keep pushing, I promise. All I wanted to say was that I am sorry for what I did to you and I am sorry for what I did to us. I really miss you but I get it if you don't want anything to do with me."

Bonnie finished her speech and was relieved she had finally gotten the chance to tell him all this. She was watching him now, his expression indecipherable. But he held her gaze and that was more than she had gotten from him in the past weeks.

Though he didn't say anything the atmosphere between them wasn't sparked with disrespect or anger. On the contrary. Bonnie was about to tell she would get back to work when he leaned closer to her and softly pressed his lips to hers. Bonnie didn't dare to move, only closing her eyes, it was the first time in weeks that he showed her any kind of affection and she had never thought that if he would show her some that it would be through a kiss. Nevertheless, it was the best feeling in the world right now.

The kiss was only light and soft but it was still a kiss and it lasted longer than she would have dreamed. After a while her brain started to tune out and she put a little pressure on his lips. She feared he would draw away but he didn't. He even started to get closer to her. His hand reached out to her cheek and he lightly touched it. Her hand went to cup his neck and she made sure to keep her touch as light as possible. Her whole body was on fire and her stomach squeezed together like it hadn't done since the day of the field trip. How much she had missed his touch, his taste. His body warmth gave her so much comfort that she nearly forgot where she was and what events had brought them here.

But Kai hadn't forgotten. After they had share the sweetest and most innocent kiss in the history of kisses for a while Kai abruptly drew away letting go of her mouth and her cheek. Bonnie opened her eyes to look into his confused ones. Billions of emotions flashed through them and Bonnie was only able to catch the one that lasted in them: regret.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." Kai quickly said and turned away from her.

"No, it's okay." Bonnie wanted to reach out to him but he was clearly struggling with what just happened.

"No, no it was not. I didn't mean to… raise any hopes."

Here was a familiar pain in Bonnie's chest when he hesitantly said these words. She had raveled in the kiss and the thought that maybe she hadn't lost him forever had crossed her mind. But Kai's opinion had been unchanged. He didn't want to forgive her. When the realization hit her she had to stand up to put some space between them. She was so naïve.

"Bonnie, believe me I'm really sorry. I don't know what happened." Kai's voice reached her and she nearly cried because he sounded so genuine. Bonnie nodded, trying to tell him that it was okay, that she would survive this. Kai had stood up but he hadn't taken a step towards her. They both looked at each other miserably. And then Bonnie nodded saying "Let's just get back to the party."

The elevator ride back down must have been the most awkward thing she ever had to get through. The tension between them was heavy and it was laced with regret and unspoken words, unfulfilled emotions. When they finally arrived at the ground floor they stepped outside, neither knowing how react or what to say.

"I should get back to work." Bonnie declared and Kai nodded. She turned on her heals and went straight to the kitchen.

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The crowd applauded loudly when Joshua Parker stepped onto the stage. A few minutes ago Kai had reappeared next to his sister's side. She had only asked 'where the hell he had been' through her teeth and he had motioned to the roof. Jo shook her head, clearly not approving of his actions but he didn't mind.

His father was now standing on the stage in the ballroom next to the dining room where the party was gonna end tonight and where Kai was going to be dragged out like a pig for murder. He breathed heavily, his last breaths in freedom before his father was going to seal his fate and announce him as his successor. Kai rolled his eyes at the thought. If his father knew what he was about to do, he would probably rethink his actions.

"Please, please. That's enough." Joshua's voice resounded through the speakers on the wall. The guests were really over doing it with all the applause and Kai wanted to punch each and every one of them but finally the sound stopped.

Joshua continued with his speech. "I want to welcome each and every one of you again tonight and want to thank you all- in the name of everyone working at this company- for attending."

Another round of applause but this time it quickly died. "For a century now, this company had given people homes, opportunities to go shopping and build skyscrapers as high as this one- in fact we did build this one." The crowd laughed and Kai wanted to throw up for the act his father was putting up.

"My grandfather founded this company in 1910 as a way to give housing to those less fortunate. We have developed since that day into a company that successfully operates along the entire west coast and throughout all the states. And I am very happy to let you in on a little secret, ladies and gentlemen."

The crowd was anticipating what he would say next. They sensed that the huge surprise was about to be revealed and his father delivered on that anticipation. "I am very proud to inform you that off right now is not only winning over the American market but is now acting as the leading company in an international cooperation with European and Asian construction firms." Joshua declared proudly and the crowd applauded again. Kai smiled, he had anticipated this.

"Thank you, thank you. I know a few of you had been skeptical about sailing off into international waters but I can assure you, this company has everything it needs to fully win the European and Asian market over. I remember when I took over the leadership from my father this company was just spreading across the west coast and everyone was afraid. But look were we are right now, we survived expansion to the west coast, we survived expansion the whole U.S. and we'll surprise the expansion to the entire world." Joshua had won over every brooder in this room, so it seemed. If they only knew what kind of man his father really was, maybe they would be more reluctant to follow him into the next phase of the company.

"I have to admit a lot has changed within the last century and to be honest there is not too much left of the company my grandfather once founded. But he did found this company on the fundamentals that we are still honoring until this very day and I am very happy and proud to announce that one of those fundamentals is going to get honored in the prospect of the future 50 years."

Kai swallowed, it was going to happen every second now. He felt Jo's gaze turn to him and her pitiful eyes stayed on his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, with honor I now announce that my eldest son Malachai will be appointed as my heir. He will learn how to lead this company under my guidance and he is going to ensure the continued existence and stability to this company in honoring the tradition of keeping this a family business." Joshua almost screamed enthusiastically and everyone started to cheer along with him. Kai felt a few congratulating hands on his shoulder as he saw his father motioning to him to come to the stage.

Jo quickly squeezed his hand and then tried to look just as pleased as everyone else in the room. Kai tried to ignore all the people on his way to the stage. He shook a few hands but he was too focused on what was going to happen next to even care. When he finally climbed the steps to the stage he was as calm as he could be. He even faked a smile for his father who was welcoming him with a tight handshake, a warning for sure, to play along and not sabotage this.

Joshua handed the microphone over to him. He had told him that everyone would expect him to say a few words and that he should stick to the usual phrases. 'I'm honored to be here…' 'I think together we can achieve so much…' 'I'll work hard to earn your trust…' blah blah blah. If his father wanted a speech he would get it.

"Thank you, you are too kind." Kai started to talk and the people stopped applauding to listen to the future leader of this company. "I have to admit I was _surprised_ \- to say the least- when my father told me he wanted me to become the next leader of this company." Kai quickly turned to face his father, a smiled coating his face. He was sure he would understand the reference. "We had a lot of long talks about this until finally he convinced me not to throw my life away and spent the year after my graduation traveling through Europe and getting drunk every night." The crowd laughed at his comment, he had already charmed the hell out of them with those two sentences even though he could feel his father next to him stiffen. This would be child's play. "So, I am honored to be standing here on this big day and tell you that I will do everything in my power to learn to be a good leader and earn my position in this company. And I know that whatever obstacles we're going to face, we are going to face them together and we are going to beat them." More cheers. Kai looked around the crowd and found Bonnie standing on the side. Her eyes were widened because she had detected the turn Kai was about to take. Without another second of hesitation Kai turned back to the people in front of him. "I am excited to find out how it will be working in an international operating company." He turned to his father for his next words and looked him right in the eyes. With faked enthusiasm he said "And as soon as this lawsuit is out of the way I guess there is no stopping us, right dad?"

A murmur went through the crowd but Kai didn't take his eyes off his father who looked like he had a stroke. Kai turned back to the people. "Ooops, I think I just revealed a little secret. My bad." He turned off the microphone and stepped up to his father, who was frozen in his place, as the first voices were raised within the crowd. No matter if this information was true or not, it would get his father in a lot of trouble and that was enough payback for him. Kai pressed the microphone onto Joshua's chest with his right hand and leaned in. "That's for going over my head. Have fun dealing with the outcome." He let go of the microphone and Joshua grabbed it. Kai wanted to leave the stage but then turned back to him again. He whispered in his ear, his expression furious. "Don't ever underestimate me again." And then he stepped off the stage.

He headed straight for the door, he knew shit was about to go down once his father was home but the turmoil that was breaking out within the ranks of the guest was satisfaction enough for Kai. The tip of his mouth lifted up and a triumphant smile covered his face. The people ignored him leaving the celebration because they were all trying to get Joshua to open up about this lawsuit he had just talked about. With one last look back he took in his father's expression and helplessness in this situation. He had never felt more content in his entire life. He turned on his heels and left.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The shock about what Kai had done was still present when Bonnie left the building after her work was done. Right after his revelation all hell broke loose on Joshua Parker. Not that she didn't enjoy seeing him in jeopardy and struggling to explain himself she couldn't believe Kai would do something like this. And to his own father.

Fury built up in her as she went to her mom's car to get out of this place. Joshua Parker had dragged the important people up to his office to have a more private discussion about this. Shortly after that the party had officially been over. All the wives, husbands, children or mistresses that accompanied someone to this celebration had lost all interest in pretending they knew what this was about and left shortly after their family members had gone after Joshua. Bonnie and her colleagues took a few more hours to clean up.

Bonnie was still thinking about the events of the evening when she started the car. What she couldn't forget was Kai's expression when he was leaving. She had spotted him by the doors as he was about to get out. He turned around once more and watched the mess he had made and he looked proud. She had heard that Kai was a master manipulator and had pulled a few things like this over the years but she had never experienced it firsthand. That smile on his face, it was like he didn't even care about any of the repercussions this could have to his father's company. It was like he didn't care about anything.

Bonnie drove along the main street to get to her house. She was happy that it was already late so there wasn't much traffic. Her thoughts were so far away that she couldn't guarantee for not hurting anyone while driving home.

Her irrational reaction to the events of tonight bugged Bonnie until she realized what she was so angry about. He had lied to her. He had looked her in the eyes and lied to her as he promised not to use the information she had given him. She tried to recall the moment when he promised her but the harder she tried to remember the more blurry it got. There was something inside her telling her that even in that moment he had already known that he wasn't going to hold his promise.

Bonnie had to hit the brake hard as she realized the red light in front of her. She wasn't going to let Kai Parker ruin her driver's license. While she waited for the lights to turn green again she looked around. She frowned when she didn't recognize the area instantly. Where the hell was she? This wasn't the way to her home. And then she realized. It was the way to _his_ home. Her subconscious had guided her to him, to confront him about this. She hesitated for a second when the lights turned green but then she thought to herself 'screw this, he is going to explain himself to me' and drove to his house.

His substitute car was parked outside the house, telling her that he was actually inside. It was already late and the younger Parkers were probably fast asleep and they really didn't need to suffer from this too. So Bonnie went to the side of the house, seeing the light burn in his room and went to check the side door of the house. Kai had once told her that his mom almost never locked that door and not surprisingly she gained access to the house that way.

Quietly she walked upstairs until she was standing in front of his room. Without thinking about what she might walk into he opened the door and rushed inside. She wanted to slam the door shut but didn't due to his siblings. So she silently closed the door and then turned to him, already furious.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kai asked her as he realized her presence. He was sitting on the bed reading a book and Bonnie stepped closer to him. He had changed his suit for sweatpants and a dark shirt. Kai got off the bed and stood in front of her.

"I am here to ask you something. _What the actual fuck, Kai?_ "

"What are you talking about?"

"What am I-?" Bonnie started but cut herself off. Her fury was taking over. "What am I talking about? I don't know Kai, maybe about the fact that you just screwed you father over in front of his whole board? Maybe I am talking about this vindictive act you just fulfilled? Maybe that?" She yelled in his face.

"Come one, you wanna tell me you came all the way to my house to accuse me of being a bad son? I don't think so." Kai turned his back to her, clearly wanting to end this conversation but Bonnie turned him around to face her.

"Oh, no. You don't get to shy away from this discussion. I want an explanation."

"An explanation for what?" He asked, starting to sound annoyed.

"You know what!" she yelled.

"No, I don't." he yelled back.

"Yes, you do. Stop playing dumb."

"Okay then, you want to have an explanation to why I send my dad to his doom? You want to know why I wanted to screw him over just like he screwed me over. Is that what you want to know?" Kai snorted.

"No, I want to know why you would lie to me!" Bonnie bellowed and hit his chest with her balled fists once.

Kai looked at her like he finally understood what she wanted. "Ahhh, that's more like it. You feel betrayed and now you want to know why I did it. Tell me one thing _Bonbon_ , how does it feel to get disappointed like that?" he said derisively.

Silence spread the room and Bonnie finally understood why he did it. He wanted to get back at her, show her how it feels like being betrayed by someone you cared about. And it hurt, it hurt like hell. Bonnie couldn't begin to imagine how Kai must feel because his betrayal was nothing compared to hers. Bonnie turned her head; she didn't want to look at him right now.

"Yeah, I guessed so." Kai said and stepped away from her.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Bonnie whispered, close to crying. "Why do you punish me like this?"

"Hello? Did you have a sudden and severe form of amnesia? You hurt me, I hurt you back. That's how I work." He explained edgily.

"No, that's something else. Yes, you get back at me but you keep pushing me out. You won't talk to me, you won't let me explain myself and you don't give us another chance. And I try so hard to make it up to you, but not anymore. I am done running after you. I am done trying to get back into the good graced of someone that obviously doesn't have them. All you do, that's punishment enough wouldn't you think? But no, you keep on finding new ways to torture me, you find new ways of for me to feel bad and I know why that is and so do you."

"Oh yeah? I don't think I do. Enlighten me." Kai raised his voice.

"No, I want to hear it from you." He demanded.

"If I only knew what you want to hear." He shouted again.

"You know exactly what I am talking about." Bonnie yelled back and they were playing the 'I don't/you do' game of another minute until Bonnie just lost it.

"God, just admit it. Admit it that I hurt you. Admit it that you cared about me and that I hurt you so bad because you were feeling something for me. That deep down in this sociopathic shell of yours there is a part of you that felt something for me and I ripped it out by betraying you and that is why you are punishing me, because I hurt you." Bonnie barks out.

"Okay, I admit it. You hurt me, Bonnie. What you did to me hurt me in more ways that I could have imagined. I've always been careful around people but somehow you managed to get around all of my defenses and made yourself a home. I trusted you, I cared about you and all you did was treat that with contempt. I am mad at you- no strike that- I am mad as hell at you. Because you knew this. You knew me better than most people and you still risked hurting me and that is why I want to make you suffer. You need to feel the same pain that I am feeling. You need to know how it feels when a person you care about just rips out your heart like that." Kai yells. He had stepped so close to her that their noses nearly touched. His admittance was so honest and raging that he was now breathing heavily. Bonnie's eyes were wide open staring into the raging grey of his.

She had wanted to know the truth but she hadn't been prepared for the storm of feelings oozing out of him, causing her insides to be flipped over completely. All her emotions were on overdrive. She actually had no idea of what exactly she felt only that she regretted. She regretted with all her heart because she had caused the boy in front of her so much harm. A boy she care so deeply for and that had cared equally deeply for her apparently.

The overwhelming feelings they both felt in this moment came crushing down on them. Realization hit her that he had basically admitted to having a crush on her and her heart made a jump. But she was still mad, so mad. And he was still so mad. But they also both wanted the other so much in this moment that the next thing that happened wasn't another verbal fight but their mouth roughly crushing together as they both reached out for the other.

They kissed desperately, exploring each other's mouths. Arousal flooded Bonnie's body and she felt her core awakening to his touch. He pushed her against the nearby closet while wildly kissing her. Her arms were around his neck as his hands wandered south and explored her ass. He squeezed it and Bonnie moaned into his mouth. It felt so good having him back and she could barely contain her lust for him.

He suddenly grabbed her thighs and lifted her up against the closed. Bonnie could feel his erection against her upper thigh as he carried her over to his bed and dropped her there. That was the first time they broke apart since they had started making out and Bonnie knew where this all would lead. She couldn't wait for it. Briefly, she thought about the fact that she was still in her work cloths but she couldn't focus on it any longer because Kai had reclaimed her mouth and she knew that it wouldn't matter what she wore, because it wouldn't last much longer and she was going to lose her cloths anyways.

Kai's hands were under her shirt gripping her hips while Bonnie gripped his hair as he placed kissed down her throat. When he reached the collar of her white blouse he didn't hesitate and ripped the entire thing open. Bonnie didn't care. She was happy she was finally going to be free from that thing and got up a little to help him get her arms out of the soft fabric.

When her blouse was laying somewhere on Kai's floor she greedily dragged his shirt over his head. After another rough kiss to the mouth Kai continued his way down her body and Bonnie leaned into every single touch of his mouth on her body. Within seconds Kai had managed to get her out of her pants and shoes and she was now laying before him in nothing but her underwear.

Kai slightly bit into her upper thigh on his way back up to her face and Bonnie winced in pleasure. Before he reclaimed her mouth with his he unhooked her bra and freed her breasts. While he kissed her Bonnie hooked her feet into the waistband of Kai's sweatpants and drew them down fast. Kai wiggled his way out of them then broke away from her for a second, taking in the view. If this was just normal sex he would have probably taken longer to admiring her but this wasn't ordinary sex. This was angry sex. They were both still furious but they were also completely horny that promised to be an explosive combination.

Bonnie drew Kai back down to her and kissed him, her tongue gliding into his mouth with force. He groaned into her mouth and the sound made Bonnie raise her hips into his. That made him lose the last of his restrained and he tugged down Bonnie's panties, tearing them apart in the process. Bonnie closed her eyes in pleasure and felt Kai remove his boxers over her.

The next thing she felt was his lengths inside of her. There was no time for foreplay, both of them were too aroused to endure this kind of perfect torture so Bonnie welcomed the fullness inside her as Kai rocked into her with force making her pant heavily. Kai griped her left thigh and squeezed it while he wildly pumped into her. His grip was almost painful but weirdly it only turned Bonnie on more. While he spread her legs further apart his other hand went to grip her breast. Everywhere he touched hers he left electric sparks. Bonnie was about to lose her grip on reality if he kept rocking into her so hard.

She griped his hair painfully and Kai groaned in a mixture of pain and pleasure. Their mouths found each other again and Kai bit down on her lower lip before he let his tongue delve deeply into her mouth.

She felt the pressure inside her rise as their hips kept rocking into each other in a fast pace. Bonnie wouldn't last too long this time, this mad sexual act had only one purpose- to get the arousal out of their systems as fast as possible. They already knew they were a good match, remembering the first time they slept together and how fucking amazing it had been. This was different, it was basic needs that were fulfilled and they were both okay with it in the moment itself.

Kai's panting got faster and Bonnie couldn't control her moaning any longer. She had tried to stay quiet so no one would notice what they were doing but she had lost complete control over her body. She was starting to feel her orgasm building up inside her and she screamed out his name in anticipation.

Their bodies started to quiver from their joined orgasms and Kai bit into her neck while he came violently. Bonnie scratched her nails down his back and cried out the last of her pleasure before Kai collapsed onto her. The sides of their heads were pressed onto the other while they tried to regain their breaths. After a while Kai pulled out of Bonnie and let himself fall next to her on the back, exhaling audibly.

The sweat on her body was cooling her as his body warmth was removed from her and she shivered a bit without him or a blanket around her. Suddenly she became awfully aware of her. She had been on her feet the entire day and arguing with Kai was never an easy thing to do but the fucking had taken the rest out of her. Even though she had enjoyed the roughness of their act she would like nothing more than to get dragged into his arms and sleep of the exhaustion for the next 15 hours.

She could barely keep her eyes open when she felt something being placed over her body. It wasn't the warmth or closeness of another human body but the soft feel of a blanket being wrapped around her. Bonnie was already half asleep when Kai tugged her in but she was thankful. Thankful that he let her stay, thankful that he tugged her in and thankful that he just gave her wildest sex she had ever experienced.

She only felt him lie down beside her and grab her waist to draw her to him. His hands went up and down the side of her rips and he placed another kiss on her neck while one hand rested on her breast. "Night Bonbon." was the last thing she heard before she drifted off to sleep.


	35. Chapter Thirty-Five: Clearance

Chapter Thirty-Five: Clearance

Bonnie felt the sleep slowly drifting away, making way for her conscience to regain the upper hand. She didn't want to wake up because her dreams had offered her such warmth and harmony, even though she couldn't recall what it had been about. Keeping her eyes shut she tried to have just a few more minutes of this wonderful peace.

But it didn't work. She became aware of the warm sun shining through the window down on her and the warmth of the blanket multiplied that so that her body heated up. That fact made it impossible for her to fall back to sleep. Slowly she opened her eyes and took in her surroundings but instead of seeing the familiar furniture she woke up to every morning she was looking towards a window and the trees outside.

Very slowly the realization of where she was took in. Last night, after she had confronted Kai about his recent behavior, they had sex. And not just any sex, wild and angry sex, good sex. Suddenly Bonnie realized she was still naked under the sheets and a shiver went down her spine when she thought about last night.

But when her mind returned to the here and now she wondered how she was supposed to react now. Since she opened her eyes she hadn't moved and she also had no clue if Kai was still lying next to her or not but something told her that she was alone in the bed. But alone in the room? There was a strong presence Bonnie felt and it came from behind her. If Kai was in the room with her he was being extremely silent. Bonnie decided that she would try and turn around without catching the attention of Kai if he was in the room. She just wanted to have an overview of the scene before she would think about how to proceed from here.

While turning around slowly, Bonnie thought about the situation. She had never had a one-night-stand or anything resembling this so she had no clue on how to behave. Even though what happened yesterday could hardly be called a one-night-stand since it had already been the second time. What this all meant for their relationship was something they would have to figure out together.

When she had finally turned under the sheets she was relieved that she hadn't drawn any attention to her. Instantly she spotted Kai sitting on his desk chair, his back half turned to her. He was reading a book and seemed to be taking notes at the same time. No matter what this was about he was focusing on the task at hand and thus didn't realize Bonnie had awoken.

Before she made herself known, she kept her gaze at him. His profile was viewable and his features were tense. He was already dressed in sweatpants and a dark t-shirt and looked gorgeous and Bonnie lost herself in his beautiful face. Snuggling her head into the pillow, she inhaled and his scent streamed through her nose. She felt so comfortable in that moment even though the conditions between her and Kai were more unclear than ever. While she was relaxing he suddenly turned to her as if he felt her gaze on him and looked down on her.

"Well good morning there, sleepy head." Kai greeted her but his tone didn't fit the light words he had chosen. It was without any hint of emotion, he almost sounded bored and that tone discouraged her instantly. Of course they had both been angry at one another yesterday but she had thought that last night had proven that there was still something between them. Something even Kai couldn't deny, even though he was trying very hard to. But maybe she had been wrong in thinking that this might have brought up a new perspective on their situation in him.

Kai kept his eyes locked to hers as she lay in his bed, blanket tugged up to her neck, and waited for her to say something. But what could she say? How would she start this conversation? A conversation it seemed like she had had over a hundred times with him already.

"Hi." She finally replied in a soft tone and smiled at him shyly.

Kai didn't say anything else but turned back to the book in his lap and Bonnie sat up in the bed. The blanket fell loosely around her, exposing a lot of her body and she didn't mind wrapping the blanked back around her. There was no need to hide any part of her body from him when he had already seen and explored every inch of it; twice. It surprised herself how comfortable she already felt around him. Even during her entire relationship with Jeremy she had never wanted to stay naked for too long. She always put her clothes back on before going to sleep, even if it were only her underwear. She had never felt comfortable being naked and this had actually been the first time sleeping naked for her.

"How long have you been up?" Bonnie tried to restart the conversation.

"A few hours. Couldn't sleep." He said with his back to her but then he turned around, his face serious. "You snored!"

"Excuse me? I do not snore." She said scandalized.

"Well, you did last night."

"I beg your pardon, but as long as I live no one has ever told me that I snore. You must have heard your own snoring."

"It was news to me too, but trust me Bon, it was most definitely you." Kai chuckled and Bonnie looked away, pouting. It was almost like the old times when they would squabble playfully and Bonnie turned back to him, a smile on her face.

He didn't smile but his face was more relaxed now and in times like these it was all she could ask for.

"What are you doing over there?" Bonnie asked and pointed to the book he had been reading. Now that she had a closer look, it looked more like a brochure than a book.

"Oh, I am just going over my punishment from my father. It's like a glimpse of my future." Kai said nonchalantly.

Bonnie didn't understand what he meant with that so she reached out her hand for him to hand her the brochure and he did, with a little reluctance, but he did. Bonnie looked at its cover and read the headline: studying economic sciences. Flipping through the brochure Bonnie read all the colleges and universities that offered up the possibilities to become a professional tightwad. She looked up from it and back at Kai.

"You screw up your father's banquet and his punishment for you is to make you study economics?" Bonnie asked while handing back the brochure.

"And he is also being really nice about it. He will even let me choose three colleges where I want to go study." Kai said sarcastically.

"Why would he do that? Where is the point in all this?"

"The point is that I don't want to do it. I have made that clear more than once and now that I openly embarrassed him and started up a crisis he now has to handle, he is making sure that I know my place by showing me what my future will look like."

It was hard hearing him talk and the way his father had reacted was so out of line. She had always thought that things like these- that a father decides for his son what he will one day become- was only happening in movies and books, maybe the past but not right now, not here.

A sudden shiver went down Bonnie's back and she looked around for her clothes. They had not cared about what they did with their stuff last night but she still found all her clothes neatly folded at the end of the bed and reached out for them. She only dressed in the most important things: her panties and her top.

"So how did it go with your dad? Was be mad?"

Kai turned back to her and brushed his hands over his face. "No, and that is really the problem. He was calm and spoke to me like I was some kind of brain-dead bird that would be scared to death if he used any harsh words. But I guess the massage he was sending didn't ask for any hard words."

"I still think it is a weird punishment. Though you are deserving of one for sure." Bonnie stated and earned a glare from Kai for that statement. "What? You have to admit you kind of gone out of your ways with what you did last night."

Kai shrugged. "Was totally worth it. Have you seen his face?"

Bonnie had to fight back a laugh when Joshua Parker's shocked face came to mind but she wouldn't encourage Kai in any way. What he did was reckless and dumb and he had lied to her in the process and she was still mad at him for that. But secretly she gave Kai an imaginary pad on the shoulder for giving her the opportunity of seeing this expression on his father's face. It was priceless.

Now that she was out of casual topics to talk about, which went surprisingly smooth given Kai's previous reactions to her, she had to address the more pressing topic of what they would do now. Bonnie switched her position on the bed so she would look more casual and cleared her throat to get his attention.

"So… I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but I do, so we are going to talk about it." Bonnie beat around the bush before she sighed heavily and just put it out there. "I know we had a huge fight yesterday and that you are really mad at me at the moment, but… well, we had sex yesterday and that kind of confuses me on where we stand right now. So, what did yesterday mean to you and how does that affect us?"

Bonnie's gaze was stuck on his face. He didn't look at her directly but was facing something on the floor, seemingly thinking about what she just asked him. Maybe he really did have to think about it or maybe he just searched for another way to tell her to fuck off. No matter what, she wouldn't leave until she got an honest and clear answer to her question. Where did they stand and was there any chance to fixing their relationship?

Suddenly Kai looked his eyes to hers and sighed heavily. "Listen, Bonnie…" He started and Bonnie already knew that what came next she wouldn't like. "Last night was an irrational act on both our sides. I am not saying that I regret it but I am also not saying that it changes anything."

His voice had been tame and rational, no trace of resentment or anger, but still Bonnie had to look away because all her hopes had been shattered with this short statement. But she wanted to hear the truth and she needed to hear it, if there was no chance any more she needed to know. Still, the tears forming in her eyes were the signs of her heartbreak and she didn't even try to hide them from him. Just as she suspected he had noticed her emotional reaction but to her surprise he didn't just ignore it but stood up from the desk chair and came to sit next to her on the bed. There was still space between them but he was closer to her than he was before. The gesture oddly calmed her down a bit.

"Look, I know this is not what you want to hear but I think you need to hear this. You were right, I did punish you for betraying me and I promise you it will stop but… it doesn't change the fact that I am still hurt and that I just can't trust you anymore. I want to, I really do, but I am not really good with this emotion stuff and forgiveness isn't something that I usually give out to people." Kai explained himself and before he continued Bonnie looked back at him. "Obviously, there was something between us, we can't deny that. But this whole situation is completely fucked up. Not only because of you but also because of me, because of the way I treated you recently. I just can't go back to the way things were. I can't ignore what happened and as much as it pains me to see you like this and know that I am the reason for your suffering, I can't forgive you, I can't go back to being friends, not yet."

There it was, his whole-hearted confession about his true thoughts about them. So there was no saving them, there was no going back. Bonnie understood where he was coming from and she understood that he had to react that way, it still hurt. Losing your best friend and the guy you started to have feelings for at the same time was very hard. She couldn't even find any hope in the fact that he openly and calmly talked to her about their situation, or the fact that he added a 'not yet' at the end of his confession. There was just pure desolation inside her but she stayed strong this time. After looking into his ocean blue eyes for some time, she started nodding in understanding.

"Okay, I get it." Bonnie said quietly.

"I'm really sorry, Bonnie." He added once more and she touched his arm lightly to reassure him there was nothing to be sorry for.

"Don't. You have any reason to do this. I hurt you and now I have to live with the consequences. As long as you stop treating me like an alien or your nemesis all day long, there is nothing I can do."

"I won't."

"Good, because that really started to get to me, you know." They looked at each other for a moment, both of them holding back on so many feelings. "So, am I allowed to talk to you when I see you or is that too much?"

Kai chuckled. "I never said we should start ignoring each other, that's practically impossible. So please, talk to me when you see me. Otherwise it would be strange."

They smiled shyly at each other and due to the silence that followed after, Bonnie decided she should finally see what time it was and nearly got a heart attack when she wanted to check her phone but then remembered that she had left everything in the car before she stormed in Kai's room last night.

The car... her mother's car. The mother that she had never informed where she would be spending the night. Bonnie jumped out of bed from the thought of her mother trying to reach her over a hundred times already and Bonnie not picking up. Abby must be devastated. Bonnie jumped off the bed.

"I… I need to go. I didn't tell my mom where I am. She's probably freaking out. Can you tell me what time it is?"

"It's a little after 9."

Bonnie hesitated, she had thought it was already noon and she turned to him with raised eyebrows. "When the hell did you get up? At 6?"

"More like 5." Kai leaned back on the bed and rested his weight on his elbows, watching her as she got fully dressed. "So if you are lucky your mom isn't even up yet and she will never know. Just tell her you went out to get some fresh donuts or something."

"Hm, that could work." Bonnie admitted and a little spark of hope flashed through her. She had to give him credit where it was due, since he had way more experience in lying to parents and staying away from home for an entire night without saying something, she could have figured he had a solution to her problem.

"But how am I going to explain that I am still in my work outfit?"

"Take a coat? She won't even notice." He put her concern off with a wave of his hand and Bonnie thought that he really, really had too much experience with this kind of lying, her situation not even making him the slightest bit concerned.

When she was fully dressed, she turned around to him and expected some smug smile on his face, because he found her little panic amusing, but instead his eyes were not stuck on her but facing something in the far, this expression seemed almost sad and something inside Bonnie twitched. All of a sudden she didn't feel the need to rush out of here and get home but rather stay and comfort him in whatever was concerning him. But then she remembered: they weren't friends any more. He had told her that they couldn't go back to the way things were and that included their friendship. So he wouldn't want to tell her what's on his mind anyways and maybe, a little voice inside her head whispered, maybe you are the reason for his mood. Bonnie shook her head trying to get her head clean and convince herself that that wasn't the case. Anyways, she didn't have time for this, she needed to get home.

"So, I guess I should get going." Bonnie hesitated and looked to the ground.

Kai didn't say anything but she could make out that he was nodding, still focusing on something in the far. With a lot of effort Bonnie took a step backwards and was on her way to the door, not knowing how she should say goodbye to him. When she reached the door he looked up at her, something in his gaze haunted as if he was realizing just now that stepping out this room would mean stepping out of his life. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but instead he only sighed and got off the bed.

"I'll see you in school then." Bonnie said sadly.

"Guess so." Kai agreed and Bonnie opened the door and stepped out. Out in the hallway she carefully closed it, so that no one would hear her. She slowly went downstairs and headed for the door. She didn't seem to notice any of her surroundings and when she reached the door she barely heard a female voice calling to her, if it was Jo or Mrs. Parker calling her name she had no clue. Ignoring the owner of the voice she stepped outside and walked to her car in a zombie-like trance, ready to text her mother.

Inside the car she grabbed her bag to search for her phone. While she was searching her bag she came across a familiar looking small box and a panic went through every part of her body. She opened the box in haste and checked the containment. A heavy sigh escaped her when she realized that the pill that she had supposed to be taking yesterday was gone. At least she wouldn't wake up to a baby-shaped surprise in the next weeks.

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"Dick move!" Jo rushed into his room without knocking. She didn't care. She had no information about what had happened right in this room before Bonnie left but given her state of mind Jo had just witnessed it must have been tough.

Kai looked up from where he sat at the desk, going through some brochure and watched her with misunderstanding.

"Pardon?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about. She is trying really hard here and you keep punishing her in ways that are not okay, little brother." She yelled, using his little nickname because she knew he hated it. She only used it when she wanted to mock him or if she was really pissed.

"You have no idea what you are talking about, sissy. So keep out of it." Kai said through his teeth, clearly getting annoyed by her interference but someone had to do it.

"No, I won't and you know why? Because Bonnie is my friend too and this is more or less your fault. You befriended her and made me fall in love with that tiny person too, so I blame you for making her sad and for making me worry about her, simple as that."

Kai got up from the chair and passed her, getting out of his room. "You are delusional."

"Oh, am I?" Jo rushed after him. "I know what she did was bad and that it hurt you but what you're doing is 10 times worse. She is trying to make it up to you, why won't you give her a chance." She said while stepping down the stairwell. She nearly ran into him when he suddenly stopped and turned around to her.

"Jo, this is between me and Bonnie, so keep out of it. I made my decision based on what I'm feeling right now and you can't force me to feel any different. We talked about this and we came to an understanding. We're not friends anymore and she accepts that, got it?" He shouted.

"I don't think that she accepts it. Kai, she is heartbroken. You broke her heart and not only in the 'we aren't friend anymore' kind of way but more like in the 'I am kind of into you and you rejected me' kind of way."

Kai stared at her with open eyes, like it was the first time he heard about this. To Jo it became clear that Bonnie was into her brother probably before she had a clue herself. While she was in the hospital the two of them grew close as fuck and Jo had seen it in Bonnie's eyes, the difference in her gaze when she looked at Kai. Obviously Kai had been indifferent to the changes and for a longer time she guessed even Bonnie had been, but a few weeks ago, when Bonnie came to her and confessed what she had done, Jo could see it. Something had happened between them, she just had no idea how far it had gone because she had missed the second piece of the puzzle that was her brother. Kai was a master in guarding his true feelings, even right now she wasn't sure if it was the first he had heard of her suspicion that Bonnie had feelings for him or that he was just surprised someone observed it.

Kai only shook his head and turned around to go further down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Hello? Kai? I am talking to you." Jo nearly yelled into his ear while he made himself a tea.

"And I am not deaf, dear sister so stop yelling at me."

"Then tell me what you plan on doing to fix this thing with Bonnie!"

"Nothing, there is nothing to fix. We are going to see each other in school, say hi, and that's it. Nothing more, nothing less than class mates." Kai explained dryly.

Jo moaned in desperation and raised her arms in defense. "Alright, I tried. Don't accuse me of not trying to help. I tell you, this whole thing is going to blow up in your face one day. This girl is genuinely into you and you should find a way to work this out, but okay, it's your relationship that you're screwing up." And with that she left him alone in the kitchen.

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When she ran into Kai the next time it was like something stabbed in her heard. She had come to a kind of acceptance that they would go their separate ways but she wasn't prepared for the heartache that came over her once she truly felt what that would be like.

He was standing in the hallway of the school and she was trying to get her stuff out of her locker when she saw him. He was goofing around with Brian Glen and some other kid when he noticed her. At first she expected him to glare at her like he used to do for weeks now but he had told her that he would end his torment towards her and so he hesitated but then waved a hand in her direction and even managed a small smile. She waved back and turned to her locker.

So this is what their relationship would look like now. Waving at each other in the hallway and faking a smile. Nothing else. She swallowed the lump in her throat and got ready for the next class. She could wait for Kai, because they would have the same class but she wasn't sure how he would like that and if he was even going.

He wasn't, she learned a few minutes later after Mr. Collins had started the lesson and Kai was still nowhere to be found. She turned her head towards the window and didn't listen to a word her teacher was saying for the rest of the lesson.

This procedure repeated itself a few more times before he finally spoke to her again. They were in Ms. Gibbens class and Kai was late like he always was, but at least he showed up. Bonnie had heard from her mother that Mr. Bright was so pissed at his behavior that he called in a conference where his teachers, the parent representatives- which her mother was one of- and himself would have to attend. Bonnie had no idea what they tried to achieve with this but she could imagine how Kai felt about the whole thing.

When Kai sat next to her in the last free seat he smiled at her and it almost seemed genuine. She had watched him in the hallway and the cafeteria a few times and always seen him goofing around, laughing and being his old self. Maybe he had come to terms with what she did and it was her chance to finally get him involved in a conversation that was longer than 'hi'.

Kai leaned to her and asked her for a pen. Bonnie frowned at him because she didn't expect him to actually take notes but then she saw the crossword spread across his table and had to smile. She rummaged around for her spare pen and handed it to him. When their fingers slightly touched her whole body broke into shivers. She quickly withdrew her hand so he wouldn't notice. In the past few weeks she thought she had gotten pretty accustomed to the way things had turned out between them but every time he actually smiled at her, talked to her or –gosh- touched her involuntarily her body reacted in extreme ways. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake him and it was frustrating because he seemed to be pretty cool about the whole situation.

At the end of the lesson when everyone including Ms. Gibbens had left the room, Bonnie was still packing up her stuff and looked up when a pen was put in her focus.

"Thanks." Kai said while handing her the pen back.

"No problem." She replied a little perplex. He smiled again and this time it seemed honest. That was when her heartbeat decided to explode and she had to mentally calm herself down. She was such a love drunk fool when it came to this boy.

Kai didn't seem like he was in a rush to get away from her so she used the opportunity to start a conversation. "You know, you really should start paying more attention in class. I mean, someday the teachers aren't going to be satisfied with you showing up anymore, and then it would be wise if you were prepared." She said nonchalantly.

Kai laughed once. "You of all people should know how little shit I give about anything school related."

"Yeah, I remember. But I thought someone should just warn you about this so you won't be too surprised when it happens." They started leaving the class room and strayed along the hallway together. Bonnie had the need to ask him about the approaching student conference but she bit her tongue. This was clearly a theme that crossed their relationship status right now.

"You know, if the classes wouldn't be such a waste of time, maybe I would be willing to commit to them more." Kai said while they reached her locker. Bonnie stopped and opened it and Kai leaned on the one next to it and watched her change her books.

"Well, you clearly don't belong here." Bonnie joked.

"Finally someone that agrees with me." Kai praised and they both laughed. It was the first laugh they had shared in a long time. It wasn't something huge but it was still a step forward.

"So, what are you up to this weekend?" Kai asked, not the way that he was really asking her what she would do to find out if they could hang out, but more in a small-talk kind of way. She was surprised that he would even care to keep the conversation going but she brushed her doubts and hopes aside and answered.

"My mother wants to take me shopping tomorrow. It's one of my few free weekends and she was complaining for weeks that she hadn't spend enough time with me, so I guess I have to endure this."

"Yeah, shopping. Such a horrible way to spend your time." Kai mocked her and she pushed him out of her way while rolling her eyes.

They went to the cafeteria together and kept talking about this and that. Nothing important but it was a very nice conversation. They separated when Bonnie was heading towards her friends and Kai went to sit with Brian and the others. When Bonnie sat down she earned some serious looks form her friends. They all knew about her fight with Kai, even though only Faye had the details about the reason of it. But they hadn't seen them talking in a while now and this clearly raised some questions. Suddenly Bonnie was happy that none of them knew how far her relationship with Kai had come and they couldn't judge her for it, even though some of them must have their suspicions.

Bonnie ignored their looks and tried to start a conversation. After a little reluctance they forgot about what they had witnessed a few moments ago and their normal chit chat went on.

Faye dragged Liza and Perry away from the table way before they had to go to class but they had promised her to give her their notes and Faye had to write a test the next lesson so she freaked them out until the point where they caved and went along with her thus leaving Bonnie and Connor alone at the table.

It was a little weird because Connor had been kind of distant the last couple weeks but they still managed to have a decent conversation. When they got up to get to their next class he grabbed Bonnie's arm in the middle of a crowd of students trying to get rid of their trays and made her turn to him.

"Hey Bonnie, listen. I was wondering when I should ask you, because I wanted to give you enough time to get over Jeremy and stuff but I wanted to ask you this for months now and so I guess this is as good as it gets." Connor babbled and Bonnie's heart started racing. Oh, no. What was he doing? "So, I was wondering if you would like to go on a date… with me. Maybe this weekend?"

Bonnie was speechless. She hadn't anticipated this at all. Connor had been her friend for so long and she had never seen him this way. She was about to carefully decline his offer due to some bullshit about still not being over Jeremy but she spotted Kai standing nearby and he was watching the two intensely, his eyes cold.

The sight of him provoked Bonnie so much that she actually agreed to a date with Connor and turned on her heels to walk away. What did Kai think? That he could tell her to fuck off and then still be jealous when some other guy asked her out? Was she supposed to be alone for the rest of her life only to please him? And hadn't he done the same to piss her off? Flirt with this horrible Annabeth right in front of her face? Bonnie rushed to her next class and to her surprise Kai was there too. He ignored her, obviously trying not to show his true feelings but Bonnie didn't care about his feelings right now. If he wanted her to stay away from other guys because of him, he should say so and for most he should start behaving like he wanted to be in her life. The way that he acted he had no business being pissed at her. No fucking way.

Bonnie smiled at herself for being this strong and independent woman and standing up to Kai. She could worry about how she would survive the date with Connor later. Maybe it would be nice.

 **Author's note: Hey guys, I have to admit I was a little surprised to all those reactions about the possibility of Bonnie being pregnant and I apologize for not clearing this directly in the chapter. I never thought it would be such a big topic coming up so I snuck in a small part to clear this topic. I hope you guys are not too disappointed that a teenage pregnancy isn't in the cards for Bonnie, at least not for the current story. (I will not confirm or deny that there is never going to be such a topic coming up on this story.) But please know, that I do not indent to bring something like this up anytime soon, it just doesn't fit the turn I want to take with these two. So sorry if some of you are disappointed and that I didn't make this situation clear from the beginning. Still hope you'll stick around and that you enjoyed this chapter.**


	36. Chapter Thirty- Six: Game Of Girls-Night

Chapter Thirty- Six: Game Of Girls-Night

The date wasn't nice. Not at all. The fact that Bonnie agreed to this date just to piss of Kai was only making it worse. Connor had decided to take her to dinner and the movies. She was almost relieved when they sat in the dark cinema and she could finally stop acting like she was enjoying herself. No matter that the movie was horrible but it was the most amusing part of the evening for her. She had insisted on arriving separately so they had to say goodbye right after the movie was over.

Connor had leaned forwards slowly and Bonnie's eyes widened with ever inch his lips came closer to hers. She was paralyzed and couldn't do anything when she finally got her grip back and turned her face away. Connor looked at her with grief.

"I'm sorry." She whispered and he looked away, embarrassment written all over his face.

"No, it's okay. I guess I had to try, didn't I?" His voice was strong but he couldn't hide the fact that he was hurt.

"I'm really sorry, I just, I don't feel this way about you and to be honest I shouldn't have agreed to this date in the first place." Bonnie admitted, thinking back at the way Kai looked at her.

"I had a feeling you were only agreeing to piss him off." Connor said and that raised Bonnie's suspicion.

"To piss who off?" she asked with a little spite.

Connor looked at her and his expression turned dark. "That Parker kid."

"Why would you think I wanted to piss him off?" Bonnie asked dumbly. She hadn't told Connor anything about her and Kai.

"Come one Bonnie, cut the crab. We all know that you have a thing for him. Why do you think I asked you out in the middle of the crowd when I could have asked you at the table when we were all alone? I wanted him to hear it. I wanted to rub it in his arrogant face that I was going on a date with you."

Bonnie watched Connor with an open mouth. Connor had wanted to see Kai jealous. He wanted to use her as some kind of trophy over him. She couldn't believe it. She was pissed. At Connor for using her like that and at Kai for acting exactly the way Connor wanted him to and not having any business acting that way. Without saying goodbye she turned around and headed to her car. She was so enraged that she texted Kai a hateful message, about what he was thinking acting the way he did yesterday.

The only response she got was a short ' _Take it your date did go too well? ;)'_ and she smashed her phone onto the passenger seat and went home.

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The traffic had been horrible so now Abby Bennett was going to be late to the student conference that she didn't want to participate in the first place. She didn't know what her purpose was going to be there. With Kai's father present and all the teachers there was no need for her to be there too. Of course this was kind of what she signed up for when she agreed to take the position of parent representative, but until this point she never had be part of a conference where the accused had been a kid that she knows and likes. No matter the outcome, she was not going to be any help for Kai today.

Abby parked her car in the school parking lot and watched the clock in her car. Shit, she was already 5 minutes late. Joshua Parker was not going to be her biggest fan today. Well, so be it. Maybe it would take him off his son's back for a little while.

When she entered the corridor of the school she saw that the conference had already started without her. There was no one to be seen but a single person, who was sitting on a chair in front of the room where the conference was held. Kai looked like he was waiting for his execution and Abby sighed a little.

When she was closer to him, she decided that she could spare a few more minutes and sat next to him. She was late already; they wouldn't mind another two minutes.

"Hey, Kai." She greeted him.

"Hi." Kai said without looking up. He didn't seem sad or afraid, just… bored.

"So, you think I am going to be in a lot of trouble for being late to this?" she asked jokingly.

"Don't worry, you're not gonna be in as much trouble as I am."

Abby sighed. There was no time to build this conversation up in a slow burn so she just said what she wanted to say.

"Listen Kai, I know things are a little tough right now, but do you even know that with your behavior you could screw up your future? I mean, come on, you don't need to be sitting here, waiting for your conference. You're a smart kid. Why do you keep doing these things that get you into trouble?"

Kai looked at her now. "Because I can, that's why. How do you even know it's tough right now, huh? Did Bonnie talk to you? Did she tell you to talk to me?"

Abby hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to make this any worse for her daughter than it already was. Bonnie was trying to convince her that she was alright, that this fight didn't hurt her the way it did, but Abby knew her better than that.

"No, she didn't. Even though she does talk to me. At least she did. Now she tries to cover her pain up but I can still see it. I know she did something that pissed you off and you probably have every right to be mad at her, but… she is hurting too. She cares very deeply for you, you kind of won her over in a storm. You know, seeing my daughter like this, isolating herself, brooding all the time-just basically sad- it hurts me too. I won't tell you what to do but just think about everything, what she means to you and maybe you'll find a way to take a step towards her."

Kai looked at her with a serious expression on his face. It wasn't rage or anything like that, it didn't seem like he was mad at her for talking to him about this topic, he just seemed to consider her words. Could it be that she actually had gotten through to him?

The door where the conference was held got opened and Kai and Abby both looked towards it.

"Ms. Bennett, glad you could make it." Joshua Parker's icy voice rang to her ears and Abby rose. Without saying anything, she went inside the room, only nodding at him when she passed him. She heard him tell his son to come inside, while she got to her seat.

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"And you think that's okay?"

"Sure, why wouldn't it be?"

"Well, maybe because it is at your house and I don't know, some other people living there could have something against it?"

Bonnie looked at Jo, trying to figure out if her invitation to 'dancing with the stars night' was meant sincerely or if the oldest Parker girl had something up her sleeve. But Jo did not purport that it was like that in any way.

"Bonnie, you are my friend and I want to spend tonight with my friends watching _dancing with the stars_ and if Kai has a problem with that he can stay in his room, where he belongs." Jo stated businesslike.

Bonnie nodded, considering her invitation. She was free tonight and she hadn't spent time with Jo in forever due to the whole Kai mess. Dancing with the stars was in no way something Bonnie was interested in and the fact that Jo's friends Olive and Jessica would also be there, making this kind of a girls night, didn't necessarily push her willingness to join them either but Bonnie kind of missed spending time with Jo, so before she could think about it she heard herself accept Jo's invitation.

Jo didn't let her have a second thought about it, only telling her when to be there and to bring some chips, then she was gone. Bonnie stood there like an idiot because Jo had disappeared so quickly, that it must seem to other people that she was talking to a ghost or something.

While Bonnie turned around to her locker she thought about searching for Kai, who should be around somewhere since he had attended school every day for the past few weeks, and ask him if he was okay with her coming to his house tonight but she quickly decided against it. She didn't owe him any explanation. Just like Jo said, if he has a problem with her seeing her friend he can go deal with it on his own.

There hadn't been much interaction between the two since that fatal date with Connor. She still thought his jealousy was misplaced and he still seemed to give a shit about what Bonnie thought. Except for the occasional 'hi' in school, they didn't have anything to say to each other. So she wouldn't seek him out and ask for his permission to do something. Hell no!

When the school day was over she went to the supermarket and got some chips for the evening. She only briefly went home to tell her mother where she was going. Nowadays, she was making sure she always told her about her whereabouts because she only barely got away with her lie about the other night she had spent with Kai and wanted to avoid any of this ever happening again.

Getting ready in no time, Bonnie jumped down the stairs and went into the kitchen where she had stored the chips. When she grabbed them she spotted something laying on the kitchen table, a paper with some picture printed on it. She got closer to look at the picture when she realized it was a picture of a blue car. It was a VW Polo, not the newest car but seemed to be doing its job pretty well.

"Do you like it?" her mother's voice reached her ear.

Bonnie turned around, a skeptical frown on her face. "Yeah, it's lovely."

"Good! It's yours if you want it." Abby stated while stepping next to her daughter.

"What?" Bonnie's eyes widened.

"Yup, talked to the owner and trust me it is really a good car. And the prize is pretty good too. I just wanted to get your acceptance and then I'll go get it."

"But mom, I still don't have my share of the prize yet." Bonnie argued.

"Don't worry, babe. You can pay me back when you have the money."

Bonnie was full of joy and jumped into her mother's arm, screaming in joy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She put small pecks across her mother's cheek and heard her chuckle.

"You're welcome, Bonnie. But for now, take my car and get to your friends house. I'll see you later, have fun." Abby nearly pushed her out the door because Bonnie was still busy telling her how grateful she was. With a big grin on her face Bonnie drove to Jo's house. She had packed the photo of the car into her purse before she had left and was very eager to share it with a certain someone before she remembered that that person wouldn't care. Her euphoria stopped for a moment and she sighed heavily before she finally rang the bell and waited for Jo to open the door.

. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Oh my god, they are so bad." Olive complained.

"Yeah, totally. If they don't go home tonight I swear I won't watch anymore." Jessica agreed while she was hovering over Olive's fingernails, trying to paint them in a special kind of red.

Jo said right next to Bonnie and if she had an opinion on the couple that just finished their dance, she kept it to herself. Bonnie was glad for that. No matter what these girls liked about this show, it didn't seem to infect Bonnie. Actually, she hated this show and couldn't wait for it to be over.

Olive and Jessica were nice, as always and of course Jo had been a wonderful host. It wasn't so much as the company but the show itself that made Bonnie want to flee the room.

Right before the next couple would hit the floor, Jessica jumped up and declared that she needed to pee, leaving the three girls alone.

"Hey Bonnie, how do you like the color?" Olive asked and shoved Bonnie her painted nails.

The red was really intense and on any other person it might have looked nice but Olive's pale skin just didn't fit. It made her look like she tried too hard but Bonnie wasn't going to say that. "I like the color, really intense." Bonnie said and it wasn't even a lie.

Content, Olive turned back to the TV and watched some unknown actor and his dance partner try the waltz when Jessica rushed back into the room.

"Jo, I know you don't want to hear this but I can't keep this to myself." Jessica warned. "Your brother is just gorgeous!"

Jo moaned next to her. They clearly already had this conversation over and over again. Suddenly, Bonnie felt uncomfortable. Nothing compared to how Jo must be feeling but still, she didn't want to talk about how cute Kai was with these girls. It didn't seem right.

Jessica continued to fancy. "Just ran into him when I wanted to go to the bathroom. Man, he looks especially handsome today and he's not even trying." She turned to Olive now, who seemed to be more than interested in the information she was getting.

"What did he say?" Olive asked, full of anticipation.

"He just said hi and then went downstairs- but goooosh, he is perfect. He even smells nice."

Jessica and Olive started giggling and Jo tried to get them to shut up. "Alright, girls that's enough. You know I don't want to hear you swoon over my brother, okay?"

"Come on, let's have this little fun." Olive demanded while giggling.

"Yeah, and I guess Bonnie is totally on our side on this one, so we are the majority." Jessica laughed.

Bonnie looked up, eyes widened. "Me? Why would you think I agree with you?"

A little panic spiked in her. Had her mime or body language giving anything away? Or did these girls just sense that Kai Parker was a delicate topic for her. Next to her, she felt Jo shift uncomfortably. She for sure knew more than the giggling girls in front of Bonnie, how much she wasn't sure, but she felt Jo's eyes on the side of her face, like she was checking on her.

"Because we assume you have eyes in that pretty little head of yours." Olive explained. "Kai is like the supermodel type and any girl that is free can see that. Or do you have someone special so you would be blind to his appearance?"

Bonnie swallowed down the lump that had been building inside her throat. "Eh, no I don't."

"See, than you have to admit it." Jessica pushed further.

"I… I…" Bonnie stammered. She had no idea how to react to his and was more than grateful when Jo finally cut in.

"Let it go, you two. This is my house, so my rules and I say no swooning over my brother, end of discussion." Jo said in her mature voice and Jessica and Olive reluctantly gave their okay. Bonnie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and watched the two girls in front of her exchanging glances and giggles, but they let it go.

Bonnie's head turned in Jo's direction and when she saw her looking back she mouthed a 'thank you' and Jo smiled, touching her arm lightly in reassurance.

Even though they had dropped the topic, Bonnie felt more and more uncomfortable in the room. It seemed like it was too hot in there and she couldn't focus any more. The babbling of Olive and Jessica wasn't helping either and so she got up and excused herself for a second.

When she got to the hallway and closed the door behind her, she sighed heavily. Having a door between herself and these two girls was relieving. She turned away from the door and leaned next to it on the wall and closed her eyes.

"The girls can be tough, right?"

Bonnie quickly reopened her eyes as she recognized the familiar voice of Kai. She turned towards the sound and saw him standing in front of his door with a bowl full of popcorn in his arm.

"Yeah, they are. I mean, they are nice and all but… you know…" Bonnie tried to sound nonchalant.

Kai smiled and nodded. "So, you're enjoying yourself?"

"Yah, sure. We have a lot of fun, you know. It is a real girls-night. We tattle, doing each other's nails, laughing, eating, enjoying the show." Bonnie slowly moved over to where he stood while talking. "Just a very nice evening."

Kai looked at her when she had finally reached him and raised an eyebrow, seeing right through her act.

"Alright, you got me. I hate it." Bonnie admitted and Kai laughed at that. "I mean, it's not them, it is me. They ARE nice and all but- Dancing with the Stars? I mean, really? This entire show is ridiculous and lame, I want to puke if I have to see just one other couple failing horribly at the waltz. I need something with a little bit more demand. I don't know what Jo was thinking when she invited me."

It took a few more seconds for Kai to stop laughing and when he did he was wiping away the tears that formed in his eyes. "I thought Jo was joking when she told me she invited you to girls-night. It was ridiculous. I couldn't picture you with Olive and Jessica at all. This entire thing was doomed from the start"

"Thanks for giving so much credit." Bonnie pouted.

"No, it's not that. You are just not the type of girl that would enjoy something like this. That's all." Kai tried to comfort her, his voice still laced with the aftermath of his laughter.

They smiled at each other and after that a silence spread out between them. After a while Kai broke it. "So, I'm rewatching Game of Thrones season 3. Wanna join me?"

Bonnie looked at him with surprise. Did he really mean it or was he just being polite. "Really? I mean, is that okay? I don't want you to feel obligated to ask me."

"Hey, it was just an offer. Feel free to rejoin the happy clique of girls waiting for you back there-"

"No!" Bonnie cut him off mid sentence. There was no way she would go back in there. She was feeling bad for Jo, because her behavior was really not the best right now, but this show and these girls were making Bonnie go crazy and the prospect of spending some time with Kai was just too tempting. Jo would understand.

Kai smiled and opened the door to his room. He motioned for her to make herself comfortable on the bed while he set the Blu-ray player. It felt a little weird being back in his room, but Bonnie still placed herself on his bed by the window and soon Kai sat next to her and started the Blu-ray.

"Would I be pushing it, if I asked you if you'd share a little of your popcorn?" Bonnie asked playfully.

Kai's head turned to her and with fake outrage he said. "Okay, enough is enough, Bonnie. I'm already saving you from the horror that is Dancing with the stars, so don't be so greedy." But he smiled and offered her the bowl. Bonnie reached inside and through a popcorn into her mouth, a smile on her face.

They watched the first episode. They talked more than Bonnie had expected them to. She thought that showing her the mercy to let her watch a movie with him was all she could ask for, but the constant commentary of what happened on screen soon turned into a lively conversation about this and that. It almost felt like old times, but of course it wasn't. Kai didn't want it to be like that.

Half an hour into the first episode, Jo came rushing into her brother's room. "Kai, have you see… oh."

Jo hesitated as she saw the two of them sitting next to each other on his bed. She eyed them, trying to find out if this meeting was friendly or if she needed to intervene to keep them off each other's throats. "So here you are. We already thought we scared you off." Jo said to Bonnie.

"No, you didn't. I'm sorry, I should have said something." Bonnie admitted shamefully.

"Oh no, it's alright, really. Now that I know where you are, I can stop worrying." Jo said and a huge smile built up on her face. After a short silence she added. "It's nice to see you are friends again. Was about time." She locked eyes with Bonnie and something in her gaze told her that this had always been her intention, that Jo had only invited her to girls-night to secretly force her and Kai to overcome their differences. With that content smile, Jo closed the door again and left them alone.

Kai turned his attention back to the TV, not reacting to anything Jo had just said and that made Bonnie watch him intensely. He seemed to be comfortable right now, and Jo's interruption hadn't changed that but why didn't he react to Jo's comment about them being friends again?

"You didn't object." Bonnie stated and his head turned so he could eye her.

"Huh?"

"Jo's comment about us being friends. You didn't object."

"Oh, that." Kai said casually, shrugged and turned back to the TV.

Bonnie still looked at him, while he was still watching the TV. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you?" Bonnie pushed. She knew that maybe she was pushing too hard but she felt like she was onto something here. Hope and excitement rushed through her, even though she was trying to tame it.

Kai didn't look at her when he answered. "Maybe I didn't object because there was nothing to object about. Maybe Jo was just stating a fact?"

Bonnie's heart hammered wildly in her chest. Did he just imply that he was willing to be friends with her again? Bonnie's eyes widened so much and there was no way of pushing back the excitement, it was already winning her over. "Are you- are you saying that, that we, I mean you and me, you'll give our friendship another chance?"

"I guess that is what I just said."

"Are you sure? I mean, did you think about it enough? You're not gonna regret this tomorrow or next week? I don't want you to rush into this decision when-"

"Stop. Talking." Kai turned to her and cut off the stream of words that came out of Bonnie uncontrollably. "Or I'll change my mind." He slowly turned back to the TV.

Bonnie was feeling like she had just won the lottery. She couldn't imagine that there was another scenario that could make her feel so happy and relieved. It seemed like all the bad feelings she had been carrying inside her for the past weeks had vanished in one second. Her mouth seemed not willing to stop forming this ridiculous smile and she bit down on her lower lip to hide it from him. But she could only contain her happiness for a few more moments before she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and making a squeaking sound. It didn't matter how ridiculous she was behaving right now, she just didn't care. She had her friend back. Probably not in the way like before but it didn't matter right now. She was friends with Kai again and she needed to show him how happy she was about that.

Kai had been surprised by her sudden bear hug and so he only slowly and weakly returned it. Bonnie yelled 'thank you' into his ears over a hundred times before she pulled away and sat on her knees right next to him, not able to stop smiling. Right then, her mind came up with all the things she had wanted to tell him the past few weeks but couldn't because she was sure he didn't care but she didn't want to scare him off right away with all her babbling so she chose to just inform him about one thing at a time.

"I'm going to have a car." She randomly yelled at him and quickly covered her loud mouth with her hands. She didn't want to yell but she was so exited she couldn't hold it back. Kai looked at her, confused about the sudden change of subject.

"Hide your wife, hide your kids?" He said with a little mockery and a lot of confusion.

"Ha ha, not funny." She punched him lightly on the arm. "My mom showed me this car earlier and she's arranging everything, so if I am lucky I'll have it by the end of the week. I even brought a picture but it is with my stuff in Jo's room so I can't show you. It's blue, though."

"You brought a picture? To show to the girls? They don't give a rat's ass about cars." Kai chuckled.

"No, I actually brought a picture to show it to you and then I realized that we weren't friends anymore and I kept it to myself."

"Hm, then I guess we have to get your stuff."

Bonnie wasn't too keen on going back to the girls. Jo already knew where she was and seemed to have planned this, but Olive and Jess probably had no idea and she wasn't interested becoming their personal newspaper on all things Kai, and they would for sure want to know.

"No, need. I'll just get my stuff later." Bonnie avoided him but of course Kai kept pushing.

"Well, if you don't want to get it, because of the dooming atmosphere of girls-night, then I'll go get it." Kai jumped off the bed and headed towards the door.

"NO!" she screamed. Kai heading into the lions cave without knowing was going to cause a whole lot more than chit chat with the girls. Poor Jo wouldn't get a rest and the prospect of her two friends drooling all over Kai was just something that didn't sit well with her. "Just come watch this episode with me and then I'll go get my stuff myself, okay?" She added with a soft tone.

"Okay… weirdo." Kai sat back down and took a few popcorns but not to eat them but to flip them all over Bonnie. That was the start of a heavy popcorn war between them and within minutes his bed was full of it and the bowl was mostly empty. Bonnie had to hold her ribs from the pain the laughter had caused and finally leaned back on the bed, breathing heavily and Kai joined her. They shared a smile.

"I really missed you." Bonnie finally said into the silence.

Kai watched her closely and straightened his position, a little uncomfortably. "Bon, you know this is not going to go back to the way things were in no time, right?"

Bonnie nodded, her smile dying. She had expected this. She knew Kai too well to expect him to forgive and forget and just finish where they left off. "I know, but I am happy right now with whatever bone you're throwing at me."

He smiled a small smile and cuddled into his pillow, turning his attention back the TV. Bonnie did the same and they watched the rest of the episode in comfortable silence. After it Bonnie grabbed her stuff from Jo's room, only quickly saying good bye to the girls and hugging Jo, who whispered in her ear that she was glad Kai had finally forgiven her, and rushed back to his room to show him the picture of her future car.

Of course he would make fun of the old wagon, she hadn't expected anything else but she also knew that he was happy as long she was content and happy about it as well and even admitted that it was quiet a good first car. They watched another episode after this and somewhere in the middle Bonnie rested her cheek on Kai's shoulder, fully aware that she might be overstepping their fragile new friendship but she had missed him so much that the pull towards him was just too strong for her to ignore. To her surprise he let her rest her head on his shoulder for the rest of the episode. Or at least until Bonnie fell asleep next to him a few minutes later. All the stress of the past week had fallen off her and the exhaustion for dozens of nights without proper sleep had claimed her body.

She woke up when he got off the bed to turn off the TV. She stirred and he looked at her apologetic.  
"Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but it's okay, I needed to wake up anyways."

"Oh, I would have woken you up. I just wanted to give you a little bit more sleep." Kai said while he fished the blue-ray out of the player and put it back into the case.

"Yeah, I would have claimed that too if I were you." She said ironically.

"Of course I would. After I witnessed you freak out about not telling your mother were you were the last time, I thought it was appropriate to help you prevent that from ever happening again. Plus, I don't want to anger your mother, she kind of did me a solid at my conference the other day."

"She did?" Bonnie asked and he nodded. "How did it go anyways?" Bonnie added while sitting up in the bed.

"Well, it was unnecessary as always. Had to listen to all the teachers ranting on and on about how unreliable I am and blah blah blah. They were about to suspend me, even my father was on their side, but then your mom kind of lost it. She said that this was a complete waste of time because she didn't understand why they were talking about suspending me when I still managed to get all the workload done and had good marks. She said as long as I don't physically or mentally hurt anyone she sees no reason to punish me with something that I was likely not going to see as punishment after all. So… they dropped it."

"Wow, never knew my mother was such a tiger. She must really like you."

"I guess she mostly did it to piss off my dad. They really don't get along at all."

"No, they don't. My mom hates your dad." Bonnie laughed and Kai joined her.

"Well, I guess I know the feeling."

Bonnie got out of the bed, grabbed her stuff and moved closer to him. "How is everything going with your dad? Is he still pissed?"

"Totally, but he went from yelling at me all the time to ignoring me, when mom told him it was enough. I'll manage, don't worry." He put off with a wave of his hand.

Bonnie sighed. She wished she could help him but she knew he wanted to deal with his father on his own and maybe it was just not her place yet to interfere with that screwed up relationship when she was still busy trying to fix theirs. "I should get going, I am really fucking tired." Bonnie said and hugged him, now he was even hugging her back.

"That's the best thing, I am finally allowed to hug you again." Bonnie laughed and Kai rolled his eyes.

"Don't expect it to happen too often, young lady." He scoffed and opened the door for her, accompanying her downstairs.

"Oh, you won't even have a say in this." Bonnie taunted, knowing fully well how much Kai thought of unnecessary, physical declarations of affections but she wouldn't give him a choice on this one. Bonnie slipped into her shoes and before she got out of the door she smiled at him once more and he returned it. Then she stepped outside into a warm June night and waved at him, getting to her mother's car. On her way there she heard the door closing and thought that maybe next time she came here, she was going to have her own car already.

Full on pleased she drove back to her house and hoped her mother was still up to tell her the news.

 **Author's note: Thought it was time to smooth their relationship. So there a way calmer waters ahead for the two of them. Maybe. ;) So, this is the last update before my very busy time of spending the holidays with my family and friends and after that I'll disappear into my computer to write my bachelor thesis. I still have a chapter ready but I don't think I will be updating until January because I know I won't have time to update in January at all and I don't want to let you wait two month for an update, so I will delay the next chapter into the next year. Speaking of, I want to thank everyone for reading this story and leaving such lovely and encouraging comments. I love you guys and I love how strong the Bonkai community still is, even though it's been 2 seasons. I wish everyone who is celebrating wonderful Christmas or Hanukkah, everyone else nice last days of December. Love you guys, until next year-LiLaAir**


	37. Chapter Thirty-Seven: Road To Recovery

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Road To Recovery

"Oh, come on. Pleeeeease."

Kai tilted his head and widened his eyes, a cute smile surrounding his lips. Bonnie's heart missed a beat and she wanted to punch herself for it. No matter how hard she tried, there was no way of shaking the longing she felt for this guy. They were friends again and for the past few weeks it had worked out really well. In contrast to what Kai had said the other night, about how this would never be like before, Bonnie had the weird feeling that it kind of already did. Without the making out part unfortunately. That was the one thing Kai refused to grant her again- fluffy feelings and intimacy. To her it seemed like he didn't need it, that he had checked that part of their relationship off. It wasn't hurting Bonnie as much as it annoyed her. The annoying part being her own feelings that most likely didn't get the memo that they had no business existing any longer. So Bonnie did her very best not to show him that deep inside she was still falling hard for him.

Now they were sitting in her room, books spread all over the place while the summer sun was warming the space up. Bonnie had convinced Kai to be her study-buddy again for all the final exams that were coming up the next weeks before the school year was over. It had been hart to convince him to spend some time with studying because he was completely convinced that it was a waste of time and that they could use the time better. He had been at her place for an hour and a half before he had started pleading for them to stop studying and go outside to enjoy the summer day. Bonnie had stayed firm against his pleading and grumbling, even though she knew she rather wanted to spend the day lying in the sun. If he kept on asking her to leave the books behind and go outside, she might cave.

"Booooonnie…" Kai whispered in her ear while they lay across her bed, math books in front of her.  
"We've been over this for hours, I think it is time for a break."

Bonnie turned her head to face him and when she spoke she tried to hide her excitement and sound determined. "ONE hour, we have only been here for one hour, that's hardly enough time to study this topic, Kai."

"One hour, two hours, who cared about the details?" Kai rolled onto his back and faced the ceiling.

"I do, because I don't want to fail miserably."

"You won't. We both know that you are always panicking over nothing and you are really good in math so there is no need for you to waste your time with this."

Bonnie closed her book. "You're right, math is kind of my thing. So, I'll just check out biology instead. That is really not my strong suit." Bonnie reached behind her and grabbed her biology notes.

Kai sighed into the pillow next to him while rolling to his side. "You're killing me Bonnie."

"What do you even want to do when you get out? I wouldn't even consider leaving here without a proper plan." Bonnie lied. She would strap along anything Kai suggested at this point.

"Oh, I have an idea. There is a gathering at the park, a few of our class mates are meeting up. There will be a picnic and music…"

Bonnie looked up. Faye had mentioned something like this earlier. It did sound like a lot of fun and the sunny day kind of screamed for them to take the day off and enjoy it. Bonnie was about to cave to his suggestion.

"Hmmm, fine. But I'll take my books." Bonnie agreed reluctantly and Kai's smile grew wider. He jumped off the bed and pulled on her arm to make her stand up.

"You can take your books all you want, you're never going to have a chance to look into them anyways."

Bonnie still packed them. She was aware that she was probably not going to study anything else today, but she liked the idea that she could. Kai's mood had changed completely and he rushed her to grab all her stuff and get going. He jumped down the stair like a little kid that was excited for Christmas. It was adorable.

"Where are you two headed?" Abby Bennett's voice reached them from the living room. She soon after appeared in the door frame. "Thought you wanted to study all day?"

"We are, just moving this outside." Kai said enthusiastically and opened the door and got out. He really couldn't wait a second longer.

Abby leaned to Bonnie and whispered. "Isn't he a little too excited to study outside?"

Bonnie only rolled her eyes and followed Kai outside, because he had called for her. The park was not too far from Bonnie's home and so they decided to leave the cars behind and walk. The sun felt warm on Bonnie's shoulders and burned a little her eyes. She wanted to go back to get her sunglasses but Kai grabbed her arm and told her there was no need. He pulled out his own pair and placed them on Bonnie's nose with gentleness, tipping on the tip of her nose with his index finger after that.

"Problem solved." He said and turned around to go ahead. Bonnie waited a few more seconds before she followed him, the gesture making her get weak in the knee and she needed to breath in and out before she could even think of moving her legs in a proper way. When he caught up with him her thoughts were still running wild. Why in god's name was it always a normal situation like the one that just happened that got her all confused and left her with a heart rate nearly as bad as if she were running a marathon. Inside she knew the answer to that question but she didn't dare to even think about it. If she only once admitted it to herself, it would make it real and she didn't want that to happen. Not if Kai didn't have the same feelings.

They reached the park and Bonnie could already hear the group that had gathered on the meadow in the middle of the park and the music that was playing there. When they got closer Bonnie heart a familiar voice call her name and turned to see Faye and Connor. Faye jumped up and ran towards them, hugging first Bonnie and then also Kai.

"I thought you weren't going to go outside today because you wanted to study." Faye said.

"She still thinks she will." Kai accused her and avoided a punch she was throwing his way. After that he went to search for his sister and left the girls alone. Faye dragged her to Connor's and her place and they sat down. She awkwardly greeted Connor. Since their horrible date Bonnie had tried to avoid him as much as possible because she had no idea how she should deal with him now that she knew he was interested in her and she rejected him.

The awkward vibe spreading between the two only got worse when Kai and Jo joined them. Bonnie made sure she was sitting next to Jo and not Kai so there wasn't any sign that Connor could misinterpret. He was already on to her feelings for Kai and she really didn't want to push it.

The day went by in a rush. The sunshine seemed to make everyone feel really relaxed and they all enjoyed themselves. Bonnie met a few new people that Jo introduced her too. She had seen them around school but had never really talked to them because they were the ambitious ones- the ones taking positions and being political, the ones that were likely to go to college in Yale, Harvard or Princeton and become lawyers or bankers or something like that. But they were all really nice and Bonnie thought that it had been a pity that she hadn't talked to them sooner because some of them were really making an impression on her.

When the evening approached someone got the booze out and the students started to drink. Bonnie was reluctant at first but let herself get talked into a beer by Faye. When she had finished that she had another and after that she didn't care. She had fun and everyone else around her had fun too. So why did she have to be the one not drinking tonight? She made a promise to herself not to get too wasted but she didn't decline the shots Kai had poured them all after a few hours.

When the party was hitting its end Bonnie was feeling really good. She was just a bit dizzy but she was still in full control over her body and mind. She was leaning onto a willow and felt the sleepiness slowly taking over her body. Connor had already left but Faye and Jo were sitting close by discussing the newest fashion. Bonnie didn't listen to them and was about to fall asleep when Kai sat down next to her.

"Hey there." He greeted her with a smile.

"Hi." Bonnie's body instantly reacted to his presence and gave her an energy boost the best coffee couldn't provide.

"I just wanted to say sorry." Kai said with a more serious expression.

"Sorry for what?"

"That I dragged you out here and kept you from studying."

"Oh, no. That's okay. You were right, I am panicking a little too much about this all and there is still time. I am actually really glad that you made me come here today, I had a lot of fun."

"You did?"

"Sure. It was kind of perfect." Bonnie admitted honestly and earned a genuine smile from him.  
The sun was about to disappear, giving Bonnie a general idea of the time and also making her shiver a little in her blue tank top and jeans skirt. She slid a little closer to Kai to feel his body warmth and he put his arm around her shoulder, leaning back against the tree with her. He was rubbing her bare arm to warm her up further and it encouraged Bonnie to lean her head onto his shoulders.

"Hey, you never told me if you had any plans for the summer." Bonnie thought out loud. After their time out they had never discussed that topic but Bonnie wanted to know.

"I'll be with my granny in England for the most part. What about you?"

"Spending some time in Mystic Falls with Care and Elena, like every year. England, huh? Is Jo coming too?" The last part she said louder so that Jo would hear her.

"No, Jo is most definitely not coming." She answered, scandalized.

"Jo doesn't like the company I gather there, that's why she stopped going a few years ago." Kai explained and Bonnie looked at her questioningly.

"If you had met them, you'd understand. They are the typical frat boy types. Totally arrogant and always hung over. Nasty bunch." Jo ranted.

Bonnie had to smile at her description. "Oh, you found your flock!" Bonnie turned to Kai mockingly.

"Shut up." He smiled.

"Alright guys, it is time for me to leave." Faye declared and hugged everyone. Bonnie was about to state herself that she was feeling sleepy and wanted to leave when Kai asked her if he should walk her home. Bonnie nodded and Kai helped her get up. Jo told him to come back to the party after he had dropped her off and she would take him along in her car. Jo didn't have any drinks tonight so it was the safest way for Kai to get home since she had seen him smoking pot earlier and have some beers.

They were slowly straying along the walkway, slowly because Bonnie was now half asleep and Kai needed to support her body. At least that gave her the opportunity to breath in his wonderful scent. She hadn't had the chance to do that in the past months and it was still as pleasant as she remembered it.

When they reached her house Bonnie was basically not able to walk any more. The sleepiness had claimed her completely and Bonnie blamed that on the few drinks she had earlier. She rummaged around for her keys and dropped them when she finally had them. Kai leaned down and opened the door for her and when Bonnie finally remembered that she had to step into the house she got swept off her feet.

Kai had pulled her up and carried her through the door and put to her room. She had probably given off the vibe that she wouldn't make it on her own and maybe that had been right. She was halfway asleep when she felt the mattress of her bed underneath her and someone pulling off her shoes. The next second the warmth of her blanked being placed over her shivering body made her drift off even further. She mumbled a 'thank you' because she felt like it was necessary and felt a kissed being placed on her forehead.

"Good night, Bon-Bon." Kai's voice seemed far away and it was the last thing she needed to finally fall asleep.

. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bonnie was rushing her pen over the sheet of paper in front of her a few days later. The finals were here and giving her recent experience that studying with Kai was going to get her in some kind of distraction from the task at hand, she decided to ditch him as a study budy, which he wasn't too sad about. He still managed to get her away from the desk more often then she would have liked. His intriguing personality always made her weak to his suggestions of having fun rather than spending the entire day with her books.

So now she had to pay the prize for her slackness. Bonnie had gotten through most of the finals already and was now working on her last one: history. Even though she felt like she had noting in her brain about the Second World War her pen didn't stop flying across the pages. Apparently, something must have stuck with her, if any of these answers were correct was a whole new question.

With a short glance to the clock she saw she only had 10 more minutes left before she was finally free of all the studying. Kai had made her agree on attending the annual bonfire with him. Every one of her friends would be there too and unlike her, she was actually excited.

Bonnie turned to the last page of her exam only to find it was the evaluation paper for the teacher. With 7 more minutes left on the clock, she was done. A little confused she looked at the pages in front of her and wondered what she should do now. Not ever did she submit her exam pages before the final second has run out. This situation was new to her and so she started to look around in the room, checking whether any of the other students were done as well.

The others were still busy answering the questions and some really looked lost but there was one person who's head was not bent down towards the pages but facing the window to the left. Bonnie only saw the back of Kai's head but she couldn't look away. His sight gave her reassurance and something to do. If Kai was already done it was a good sign. Bonnie doubted he studied for this as much as she did but Kai never had to worry about his marks since it kind of always came to him. No matter how much the teachers hated him they couldn't deny his results and they were always good.

Like he felt her gaze stuck on him Kai turned his head in her direction and smiled when he caught her staring at her. Then he drew his eyebrows up in question. He tried to ask whether the test went okay and Bonnie nodded slightly and smiled. Kai stabilized his head on his hand and smiled. Something about that smile gave Bonnie the impression that he was proud of her, but there was no need for that yet. She may be done with the exam but she still had no idea if it was good or bad but of course she couldn't tell him that with a single nod and smile.

Bonnie and Kai were the first ones to hand over their exams to Ms. Gibbens only seconds before the official time was over. They got out of the room and when the door closed behind them Bonnie sighted heavily.

"Gosh, this is finally over."

Kai chuckled and followed her to her locker. "So, it went well for you?"

"Don't know yet, I kind of felt like I hadn't learned anything but when I started writing I couldn't stop. You can guess if that is a good sign or a bad."

"Good, most definitely." Kai stated and leaned on the locker next to hers.

"How did it go for you?" Bonnie asked and Kai shrugged.

"The first 20 minutes I debated whether to actively fail this exam or not. But then I knew so many answers to the questions and it would have been a waste." He explained.

"Why would you want to fail on purpose?" Bonnie asked irritated.

"To piss everyone off and to go against their expectations, especially my dad's."

"No one but you retaliates by actively being worse than you actually are." Bonnie shook her head and closed her locker. She wanted to get to his locker next but he said he had nothing to put in there so she headed towards the door.

Kai hesitated for a moment, looking at her skeptically. "Where are you off to?"

"Thought we could grab some ice cream. You up for it or are you afraid we might get caught?" Bonnie over-dramatized. Kai fought back a smile, probably thinking a few months back, when Bonnie was too scared to ditch school for any given reason. Now she was suggesting cutting short on school herself. What a horrible influence Kai had been.

Of course Kai didn't have a problem with leaving early, even though he had tried to be more present at school since the stunt he pulled at his father's company. But the prospect of having ice cream on a nice summer day was sounding just way better. Bonnie didn't want to think that maybe the prospect of getting ice cream and spending some time with her, alone, was winning him over, because that would only lead to her falling for him more and getting even more disappointed when she finally learned he didn't think of her that way.

Since the last time they had sex and he told her that he couldn't forgive her yet nothing had happened between them. They hadn't even talked about it, just kept going like their intimacy never happened and that made Bonnie think that Kai wasn't interested in her that way anymore. Maybe he never really was, because this was still Kai Parker, the cool kid that only dated for a little while before the girl bored him to death. He wasn't made for long term relationships, let alone having decent romantic feelings for someone. Even though this truth was hard to bear, she accepted it, she just wished her heart would do the same. The longer she tried to ignore her feelings the stronger they got and Bonnie has reached a point where she definitely couldn't deny them any longer. Now she had to find a way to live with them without telling him, because that would probably make him run for the hills and she just got him back. No, she wouldn't risk that ever happening.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The rest of the school year went by so fast Bonnie wondered if there was magic involved. She spent most of the time with her friends on some random parties, relaxing in the park or by the lake or doing crazy shit with the Parker twins. One night Kai would knock on her window. He had climbed the tree next to it and gestured for her to get outside. Bonnie had no idea what he was up to but she still snuck out the house. Outside she saw Jo standing close to Kai. They were giggling like three year olds, trying to keep it down so none of the neighbors would wake up. It was a strange view and Bonnie wondered if the two of them were drunk.

"No, we are not." Jo said in a clear voice that stressed her statement. But right after that she started to laugh again and Kai joined her and suddenly Bonnie knew what was going on. They had been smoking pot. Bonnie sighed and asked herself, not for the first time in the past few weeks, why she was friends with those two but she was already up and asked what they planned on doing.

"We are going to take a swim." Kai declared as if that was the most obvious to do in the middle of the night.

"What?" Bonnie only asked but the two were already on their way. Bonnie sighed and followed them. Someone had to look out for them. As it turns out Kai didn't mean taking a swim in the nearby lake but the public pool, which was closed. Ignoring all of Bonnie's concern Kai was already climbing over the fence and Jo was following a few seconds later. She only heard them giggle on the other side and looked around if there was anyone to see. It was public knowledge that the pool didn't have any security because the owner actually wanted it to get vandalized by someone so he could get insurance money and refurbish the entire thing, so they didn't have to fear anything while they were inside. Without another though Bonnie climbed over the fence and landed not so gracile on the other side.

With a lot of effort she could talk Jo and Kai out of actually getting in the pool. There was no way she would be able to explain two dripping teenagers that were acting like crazy people to anyone catching them on their way back.

When Jo finally came down she got tired and wouldn't stop nagging until Kai agreed on going home. It was 4 in the morning when they reached the Parker house. Bonnie was making sure they actually found their home and didn't accidently break into some strangers' house and wanted to turn around and leave them when Kai grabbed her arm and dragged her inside. There wasn't much she could do about it and so she decided to stop struggling.

Kai dragged her to his room, giving Jo a weird sign that Bonnie didn't understand. But apparently Jo did because she disappeared into her room and a minute later appeared in his room as well. Even though she had been tired she followed Kai and Bonnie to the roof outside of Kai's window, where he had dragged her. There was a jut next to his window where at least 4 people could easily sit without fearing to fall down. Bonnie was worried sick that Kai or Jo would fall due to their current state but they both assured her that they had done this a thousand times before and nothing ever happened.

This was only calming her down a little but she still sat down on the edge of the jut, Kai sitting next to her and then Jo. They sat there in silence and Bonnie had a second to admit that except for the whole looking out for the two, this night had actually been fun. She noticed Jo handing Kai something in tinfoil, probably what she had gotten out of her room before she joined them, and Kai leaned back against the roof and started fumbling with something. After a few minutes, she realized what he had been doing when she heard the sound of a lighter clicking and smelled the very original smell of marijuana. Kai handed the joint to Jo and she took a deep drag, blowing the fume out of her nose.

The next 30 minutes were kind of a blur for Bonnie. She had argued that she really didn't want to be the chaperone anymore and without further resistance Jo handed her the joint. For the first time in her life, Bonnie pulled on a joint and she had to admit it wasn't even as bad as she thought.

She was feeling very light and the three stoned teenagers laughed over nearly everything, even though it wasn't funny. Then the sun rose and Kai and Jo leaned back to enjoy the show. Finally, Bonnie understood why they dragged her up here. The view was stunning. Watching the sun light rise between the trees was breathtaking.

"Wow, this is beautiful." Bonnie stated while she also leaned back.

"Yup." Both Kai and Jo said at the same time. Bonnie turned her head and watched the twin. Normally, they already looked alike so much but watching them right now, both relaxed and pretty buzzed made them look even more alike.

"How often do you do this?" Bonnie asked because it was clear that this hadn't been their first time.

"Only sometimes." Jo said, her eyelids closing.

"Not as much as we'd like." Kai added and punched his sister that was starting to fall asleep. Jo jerked up and glared at her brother. "Go to bed, Jo."

Without further discussion Jo said goodbye to Bonnie and climbed back into the house leaving Kai and Bonnie alone. Kai shifted a little to the side and Bonnie lay down on her side, watching the sunrise and placing her head on Kai's outstretched legs, using them as a pillow. She only now realized that she was starting to feel tired as well. If it was the impact of the marijuana or the early hours of the day was not something she could say. The only thing she wanted to do now was relax and watch the beautiful, peaceful sunrise with Kai. She knew that Kai was leaving for England for the summer and it made her sad to think that these crazy activities they had been into the past weeks would have to end for now. She would spent some time in Mystic Falls herself but when she was getting back home, she wasn't sure if Kai would also be there to help her have a summer of a life time.

"When are you leaving for England?" Bonnie said after a while of silence.

"In a week." Kai's voice sounded silent and sleepy.

"And when are you going to get back?"

"End of August."

Bonnie startled. Sitting back up she stared into his eyes. "What? You're gonna be gone the entire summer?"

Kai chuckled. "Relax, Bon. I'll still have enough time left for you before school starts again."

Bonnie pouted. "But what am I supposed to do without you?"

"I don't know. What did you do all these other years?"

"Nothing as cool as this." Bonnie dropped her gaze, watching her hands fumble with a leave that had been lying on the roof.

"Aaah, I get it. You want to use me as you personal entertainment guide." Kai teased and Bonnie looked up, pouting again and Kai laughed reaching for her and pulling her closer to him.

She relaxed into his side, her cheek resting on his chest and his arm wrapped around her shoulder. Her heart started a race with Usain Bolt again and she hoped that Kai wouldn't notice. But it seemed like his mind has drifted off, the pot slowly leaving his system making him inattentive like a kid. They were sitting there in silence and Bonnie enjoyed the closeness. After a while an absentminded Kai started playing with the streaks of her hair, and Goosebumps spread across her arm.

"Are you cold?" Kai asked as he noticed and Bonnie shook her head.

"No, just tired."

Kai looked at her and she could see he felt just like her. "Come on, let's get inside." Kai rose and pulled her up after him. He climbed into the room and helped her in when it was her turn. Bonnie checked the time on her phone. It was already 5:30 am and she knew her mother was leaving for work in 10 minutes. She usually didn't check on Bonnie this early so there was no need to find a decent explanation for her absence in the middle of the night. Bonnie had gotten pretty good at avoiding getting caught while sneaking out in the middle of the night. She always made sure that she was back when her mother would notice her absence and on other nights she just told her in advance she was out with Kai and Jo and didn't know when she was going to be back. She wasn't even lying to her mother, she just never told her what they were doing. It was odd hat Abby didn't question her actions lately, but maybe because Bonnie had never gotten into trouble before Abby never even thought about the option that she could.

Bonnie dropped down into Kai's bed, completely exhausted and cuddled into his blanket. She had been staying over at his place quite a lot lately and they had come to a sort of routine and normalcy about it. Before Bonnie could fall asleep she felt Kai getting into bed and she turned to snuggle into him. Due to his current state he embraced her and caressed her arm.

"I will really miss you. Will you miss me too?" Bonnie mumbled against his cheek.

"Just a little."

"That's enough." She quickly pecked his cheek and snuggled back into the pillow before drifting off in a dreamless sleep.

 **Author's note: Happy anniversary to this story. Can't believe I first posted this story a year ago. I am sorry for not making this a special chapter, to celebrate the one year of Bonkai crazys, but I didn't notice this until a few days ago. So, you have to live with this chapter. :D I wanted to say thank you to all of you lovely people. I always love reading your comments and reviews. You really keep me going. Sorry for my absence by the way, hope it's gonna be better in a few weeks. What can I say, bachelor is a bitch. Thanks again for sticking with this story so far. There is still so much to tell. Until next time, LiLaAir.**


	38. Chapter Thirty-Eight: Vacation Blues

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Vacation Blues

The slight swing of the hammock dandled Bonnie into a state between conscience and sleep. She totally needed a hammock back in Portland. Ever since she arrived in Mystic Falls to visit her family and friends for the summer, she had used the hammock, her father had once built for he,r as a refuge. Nearly every day she had spent in it and it helped her clear her thoughts.

It wasn't that she wasn't glad to see all the people she loved in Mystic Falls. As long as she lived in Portland she had always looked forward to spending the summer here, but this year all the people and every planned activity- which there were a lot of thanks to Caroline and her grams' need to introduce her to every single person the old lady has ever encountered- seemed too much for her. She sought the quite moments, the ones where she could be to herself and just think.

A weird melancholy had taken her over the moment she had said goodbye to Kai at the airport. She knew that it was stupid but she missed him and she wanted this summer to be over as fast as possible so she could see him again. Bonnie was fully aware that these feelings she had developed for this boy were more than just a simple crush. That was the reason she hadn't told anyone about it. Caroline and Elena would only tease her, plus they had finally stopped pestering her about her relationship status with Kai. She had made them believe- finally- that being friends with Kai was the best way and they functioned the best as friends. Why she didn't tell them about her feelings she wasn't sure herself. Maybe because they were hers and only hers. They wouldn't have a way to get relieved or returned as it seemed, so there was no need to tell anyone about them. She would only need to talk about her feelings and her disappointment and she really didn't want to.

So now that she was lying in the hammock and was thinking about ways to handle her feelings in the future- again- and was slowly soothed into a nap by the swinging and the warm weather, she nearly missed the constant buzzing of her phone that indicated an incoming call. Only after the fourth buzz Bonnie startled up and reached for her phone that was lying next to her in the hammock. She took a quick look at the screen to see who was calling her and quickly took the call, afraid that she might have missed him already.

"KAI?" She yelled into the phone so that if he was about to hang up he would hear she had taken the call after all. Her heart hammered against her chest, hoping that he was still on the other line. When she heart his deep chuckle, relieve took over her body and she leaned back into the hammock.

"You know, just because I am all the way across the ocean doesn't mean you have to yell into the phone in order for me to understand you, Bonster."

"Haha, I do know that. By the way, hello to you too." She answered sarcastically and the prickling in her stomach started.

"Tell me, how is my favorite small-town-girl doing?"

"Well, if you mean Caroline you would have to ask her that yourself, I am not psychic. But if you are referring to me as a small-town-girl I have to inform you that I do not identify with such a definition and thus will not give you an answer." Bonnie teased and she could practically see the smugness in his expression on the other end.

"Uuuuh, someone's feisty today. But okay, I'll cave: How is my favorite Bennett doing? And don't ask me to call you mom to ask her myself."

Bonnie bit on her lower lip and smiled like a crazy person. This conversation was so normal, at least their version of normal and it only made her want to see him more. But of course she wouldn't tell him that. "I'm really good. How are you?"

"I'm bored." He sighed. "Today really hasn't been my day."

Bonnie chuckled due to his overdramatic tone. "Why, did no one have time to walk you today? Ooooh, no, wait! There is no beer left, someone drank it all that means this is the first day of your vacation you spend completely sober and that left you with no choice but to spent some quality time with your grandmother, am I right?" Bonnie teased.

"Ha ha, not funny. And just so you know, I am spending a lot of quality time with my grandma and there have been plenty days where I was sober, but keep making up these random fantasies of my time here. They are really entertaining."

"Always my pleasure to keep you amazed." Bonnie smiled and let her hand dangle out of the hammock. "So, was there anything particular you wanted to talk about?"

"Nope, not really. I just thought it would be nice to hear your voice, that's all."

The comment hit her right in the heart. It seemed like it didn't want to calm down at any point and Bonnie smiled like a lunatic. "I miss you too."

" _Bonnie sweetheart, we're about to meet your grams for lunch in 15 minutes, don't forget."_ Her father called from the patio.

" _Be right there, dad."_ Bonnie replied and then turned back to Kai. "I'm sorry, gotta go. Family needs my attention."

"Don't let me stop you. Text me?"

"Sure. Oh, and Kai?" Bonnie was fighting her way out of the hammock and finally had a solid stand on the ground. "When are you going to come back?"

"Soon."

"How soon is soon?"

"Bon, it's only a few more weeks. You're going to survive that, aren't you? You've been doing great so far." Kai taunted. "So, now get going, you don't want your family to wait for you. See you soon, Bon." Bonnie couldn't even reply anything because he had already hung up. The truth was, she hadn't been doing as well as he thought. She was constantly thinking about him, missing him to the point that she refused to enjoy the things she loved about this small town. With the knowledge that he was out of the country, across the ocean, Mystic Falls seemed even smaller to her as usual. Secretly she counted the days when she could finally get out of here.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The phone call had left her more restless than she anticipated. Her father had taken them to the Mystic Grill where they met her grams for lunch. When Bonnie wasn't staying with her dad she was staying with her. But now she was sitting on her chair, looking around the establishment and following the ongoing conversation between her father and her grandmother as best as she could. They were discussing the renovations of the clock tower in the town square, that her father, as a councilman, was responsible for. The topic didn't bother Bonnie at all so she didn't even have to pretend to be as into the topic as they were. It gave her the opportunity to rearrange her thoughts. But when her father got up from the table to say hello to a fellow coworker, her grandmother turned all her attention to her.

"You have been awkwardly quiet, child."

"Well, old clock towers aren't exactly my thing, grams." Bonnie defended herself and earned an intense look from her grandmother. Did she offend her with her statement?

"My dear Bonnie, we haven't been talking about the clock tower in over 10 minutes. What is on your mind?"

Bonnie opened her mouth to give a quick answer but her grams looked at her with this stare that always made her cave. She sighed and lowered her gaze. If she didn't look at her directly maybe she had a better chance at escaping this conversation. "There is nothing on my mind, I just have to think about leaving in a few days that's all."

"Ah, so that is what's been bothering you ever since you arrived here. Now I understand." Her grams faked understanding.

Bonnie quickly looked at her and that was a huge mistake because grams was still watching her, waiting for an answer. When Bonnie didn't give one, she started talking herself.

"You know, I know you always get sad when the day of your departure is approaching. You become restless, spend every free second with Elena and Caroline and talk about staying just a little longer. This year I didn't hear you complain about leaving up until this very second. When you arrived here, you were …upstaged. You spend a lot of time on your own. Reading a book, listening to music or staring in that phone of yours. I was under the impression that you didn't want to be here, which is weird because you always enjoy coming back. So, I thought to myself, Sheila maybe the kid just needs a little time out from school, away from people. So, I gave you more time to adjust and then you started hanging out with your friends more but you still had a lot of free time on your hands that you like to fill with that device in front of you." She pointed to Bonnie's phone on the table. "And then I finally got it. Who is the special young man that stole your heart and mind?"

Bonnie sighed and looked at her grams. The understanding and love in the old woman's eyes were clearly visible. "How did you know?"

"Oh Bonnie, I have been young once and I watched you mother grow up and go through the exact same thing. I have some experience in reading between the lines. So tell me, who is it? I hope he is better than the last one you fell for." Grams joked and Bonnie chuckled.

"Well, it's really not such a big deal. I mean, we are just friends."

"But you like him?" Her grandmother interrupted.

Bonnie hesitated. "Yeah, I like him." She finally admitted. "And I miss him."

"Then go tell him that." Her grandmother animated her.

"It's not that simple, grams. Actually, it's everything but simple."

"My dear, feelings are always simple. Only what you make of the situation is what makes it complicated. You like him. That's simple. You deciding not to tell him about it: That's you making the situation complicated."

"The situation has already been complicated, grams."

"What are you afraid off, child?" Her grandmother stared at her with intensity. It was a fair question and Bonnie had never really thought about it. She figured that she was just afraid to overstep again. Kai and her had just found their way back to each other, as friends that was. If she let him know that she was still into him that might complicate things. She was pretty sure it would complicate things because it didn't seem like he saw her that way anymore.

"I guess, I'm just afraid that he might reject me. I am afraid that that will change our friendship."

"Oh, it definitely will. But you know, maybe, that's what you are more afraid of. Not that he doesn't see you that way, but that he does."

Bonnie looked at her grandmother with wide eyes. The thought had never crossed her mind. Was she afraid that Kai might like her too? Was she afraid to step into the unknown with him? Him? The most unreliable, complicated, childish, moody, feisty and emotionally damaged person she has ever known, that wasn't known for his ability to have serious relationships?

Bonnie was deep in thoughts when her father returned to the table. Her grams kept looking at her every now and then but she didn't say anything while her father was at the table.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Safe travels and call us once you're back in Portland." Caroline hugged her tight and refused to let go of her for over two minutes. Only when Elena pushed her aside to have her own hug-marathon with Bonnie.

"I can't believe you're already leaving again." Elena said while pulling her to her chest.

"I know, time always flies." Bonnie's time in Mystic Falls had come to its end once more. She would spend the rest of the summer with her mother in Portland, like she always did. This year, she had extended her stay in Mystic Falls for distraction and Elena and Caroline had been super happy. The two would spend some more time at Elena's family's old cabin by the lake and Bonnie was a little sad that she couldn't join them. But she was also more than eager to get back home. There were still a few weeks left until Kai would come home but that gave her more time to think about the way she would proceed with her feelings for him.

"Girls, it is time to go." Rudy said behind Bonnie. He had insisted on driving Bonnie to the airport because her grams had to do some work at Whitmore. Elena and Caroline had offered to drive her but Rudy had claimed he wanted to spend the last of Bonnie's summer with her. There was not a lot the three friends could have said to that, even though it felt a little strange.

When Bonnie said her final goodbyes to her friends and got into the car, she waved out of the back window until Elena and Caroline weren't to be seen anymore.

The first few minutes were spent in total silence until Bonnie couldn't take it any longer and turned on the radio. Just a few moments after that her father started to talk.

"Bonnie, I know I might not have spent enough time with you during the summer but I want you to know that I always love having you around."

Bonnie looked at her father, that was facing the road ahead, his expression serious. She had rarely seen him smile since she and her mother had left but recently he had seemed a little… happier.

"I know, dad."

"No really, I am sorry that I have been so distant in the past. When your mother left with you, I was in a bad place and I couldn't get out of that until recently and that has a reason. I've been trying to tell you for a while now…"

Bonnie frowned. Her father being cryptic? Not really his thing. "What is it dad?"

"I'm seeing someone and it's all just new and fresh and I don't know whether it will hold but she's good for me."

Bonnie smiled. Since her mother Bonnie had never seen her dad with anyone. "Dad, that's great. What's her name?"

"Lily Salvatore."

"Salvatore, as in Stefan? Elena's boyfriend?"

"That would be the one." A short silence spread across the car. "What do you say?"

Bonnie didn't know anything about Lily Salvatore. Stefan only barely talked about his family and she had avoided spending too much time with Elena's new beau. But if her dad was happy. "I'm glad you have someone. I would like to meet her sometime."

Rudy smiled, obviously relieved from her reaction. He kept on babbling about how excited he was for her to meet Lily and what they could do. Bonnie tuned him out after a while. Her dad and Lily Salvatore. Stefan's mom… if this relationship would stick… Stefan would kind of be her stepbrother. That thought stayed with her the entire flight back home.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It was hot the next few weeks. Everyone in Portland was literally melting. Faye was still on vacation with her family so Bonnie spent a lot of time with Jo. Contrary to her brother she had stayed in Portland over the summer, preparing for college next year. Or at least that's what she was claiming was the official reason she stayed home. Secretly, she was seeing Timothy Laughlin again and Bonnie wondered if Kai knew about this. She guessed not and thought that it was a wise choice.

Jo told her that she didn't want to be with Laughlin again but she wanted to have fun while she could and was going to ditch him once school was starting again. Bonnie wished she could do the same, hook up with some random guy during the summer just to get Kai out of her head but she wasn't that kind of girl. Besides, the constant present of Kai in her mind made it impossible for her to even acknowledge anyone of the other gender.

Today, Jo and Bonnie met at the swimming pool and had just decided to go get some ice cream.

"I think I'll have lemon or strawberry. Oh, no wait chocolate. No, all of them combined." Jo said while she looked at the different flavors. Her eyes gleamed like a child's eye on Christmas would. She looked a lot like her brother at this moment.

"You're only going to be sick, like last week, remember?" Bonnie chuckled and Jo pouted.

"Yeah, you're probably right." So she settled on strawberry only and Bonnie got herself mango flavored ice cream and they sat down on one of the tables placed in front of the tiny kiosk. The swimming pool was crowded with people and so Bonnie and Jo could easily start one of their favorite games this summer 'making fun of people'.

They were just voice-overing a couple in the far that seemed to have a fight when Jo's phone rang and she got distracted. Her face lit up when she saw the caller ID.

"Hello stranger. What's up?" Jo answered with a smile and instantly put the caller on speaker. "I'm with Bonnie. Wanna say hi to her too?"

"It is lovely that you are enjoying yourself, Josette." A woman's voice rang through the speakers and Jo's eyes widened.

"Granny? Why do you have Kai's phone?" Jo looked at Bonnie, confusion written all over her face and Bonnie only shrugged helplessly.

"Oh, don't you play coy young lady. I know you have been bugging Malachai to return to Portland the past few weeks."

"Eh, no I haven't granny. I asked him when he would be back once and that's it. Why is that such a bad thing?"

"Because he just told me he booked a flight back, a week earlier."

Bonnie's heart made a jump at this new information. Kai would be home early. She had to repress her smile.

"Granny, it sucks that he is leaving you earlier but that is totally not my fault." Jo defended herself.

"Come on, everyone knows that the two of you can't stay separated for too long. It's always been like that and don't argue with me on this, young lady."

"Can I talk to Kai for a second, granny?" Jo asked and rolled her eyes at Bonnie.

"Well, yes. I will have to search for him first." There was silence for a moment and Jo mouthed 'she's crazy' to Bonnie before there were voices on the other end of the phone.

"Malachai, your sister wants to speak to you."

"Jo?" Kai's voice sounded far away but then when he talked again he was closer. He had probably taken the phone from his grandmother. "Hey sissy, what's up?"

"Well, you tell my brother."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Granny just called me to accuse me of stealing you away from England."

"What? That's ridiculous. Wait, did gran call you from my phone?" Kai sounded confused.

"Yeah, she did. She is getting weirder by the second." Jo chuckled, making the statement sound more caring than accusing.

"You know her, she's unique."

"So, I heart you're coming home early. Any particular reason for that?" Jo changed the subject and Bonnie's stomach clenched a little.

"Nope, not really. I'm just tired of all the rain. And there is only that much tea time a person can take. Oh and Jo, don't tell Bonnie. I want to scare the shit out of her when I return."

Jo opened her mouth to say something and looked at Bonnie. Kai had no idea he had been on speaker but Jo didn't tell him that Bonnie was sitting right next to her and heard everything. The gleam in her eyes told Bonnie that she was planning some surprise of her own for her brother.

"Hey, care to get me from the airport?" Kai asked when Jo didn't answer.

"Sure, just text me when."

"Alright, gotta go talk to granny. Seems like she needs a little bit more explaining. See ya in a few days." And with that he had hung up.

Jo's smile turned mischievous. "Hey Bon, what are you doing on Monday? Care to scare the shit out of my brother?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .

The days leading to Kai's arrival rushed passed Bonnie without any real impact. She spent time with Jo preparing their plan to hoax Kai. From ditching him, to a taxi drive from hell until they would reveal themselves and cry something like 'You got punk'd'. They weren't too sure about the last part yet. Jo was more than eager to get back at her brother, especially since he had plans of his own.

Jo picked Bonnie up from home on Monday, early afternoon. Kai's plane was set to land at 4:30 and the two just wanted to make sure they found the perfect parking and hiding spot for their plan to unfold. Now they just needed the plane to land and for Kai to turn his phone on again. When they arrived at the airport and found the perfect hiding spot they still had half an hour left until he would arrive.

They waited in their hiding spot, facing the terminal in order to spot him once he arrived. An hour later he was still nowhere in sight. Apparently the plane was delayed. When Bonnie went to check the scoreboard said that his plane was delayed 2 hours. Bonnie sighed and went back to Jo. They weren't too keen on going through with their plan any more and just sat in the waiting area until they both were hungry and went to buy some snacks.

Jo drank a whole bottle of coke within 10 minutes and naturally she needed to pee. She excused herself to find a restroom and left Bonnie alone. The need to stretch her legs was overtaking her and Bonnie walked around the waiting area. The buzzing in her short-pocket distracted her for a second and when she watched the screen of her phone she frowned. It was Kai. He probably wanted to start his scheme and Bonnie decided to go along for the start. She answered the phone but before she could say anything he already interrupted her.

"Cute shorts. Now I'm hungry."

Bonnie looked down on herself. She was wearing her brand new jean short with smiling sushi all over it. When she bought it last week she thought they looked funny. No way Kai could guess she was wearing them. That would mean he knew where she was.

"Where are?" Bonnie wanted to know and looked around but none of these people seemed familiar.

"So Jo, bailed on me, huh?" Kai avoided the question and Bonnie still searched for him like a crazy person. The prospect of seeing him after this long time was making her nervous.

"Actually, Jo is just peeing, she'll be here any minute. Where the hell are you?" Bonnie demanded to know.

Kai chuckled. "Turn to your left, aaaand stop. Now, raise your pretty little head a little to the gallery…"

Bonnie followed his orders and finally found him leaning on the railing and waving at her from a far. Bonnie lowered her phone and ended the call. She wanted to stay right where she was so that he didn't get the wrong impression. Jo and her plan was now totally screwed but the moment she spotted Kai heading down the stair towards her she couldn't hold herself back any longer. With anticipation and a bright smile she started walking towards him. Within a few feet she started running and in no time she was only a few paces away from him. He stopped and opened his arms for her to jump right in.

The impact of Bonnie's body jumping in his arms in full speed made him tumble back a step before he quickly regained his balance. Bonnie wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Kai pulled her into him with strong arms and kept her in place. They stayed this way for a while before Kai slowly and gently placed Bonnie back to the ground. Bonnie was smiling like a lunatic at him and she could see an honest smile on his face as well.

"You're back!" Bonnie said with a muffled voice so only he could hear it. The expression sounded too much like it was intended for a lover, but if she was honest to herself, that's exactly what he was to her.

Much to Bonnie's surprise Kai either didn't hear her undertone or he didn't mind because he gently traced a strand of her hair behind her ear and said, in an equally gentle tone "I'm back."

Bonnie's heart stopped beating. A shiver went down her spine and she had to fight real hard not to get on her tip toes and place a desperate kiss on his lips. Someone close to them harrumphed and when Bonnie turned there was Jo standing behind her and eyeing her judgingly.

"Good work sticking to the plan, Bennett!" Jo said, arms akimbo.

Bonnie shrugged and said "Sorry." And Jo then eyed her twin with warmness. Kai smiled back at her. "So, you told Bonnie about my arrival even though I asked you not to?" He accused her.

"Actually, she was right beside me when you told me. I just failed to mention that. She knew all along."

Kai fake-glared at Bonnie. "Naughty girl." Then he stepped closer to Jo and hugged her tight. For long moments the siblings held each other close, expressing how much they had missed each other over the last few weeks. It was heartwarming to see how deep their connection was.

Kai was the first one to withdraw from the hug. "So, what kind of plan were you just referring to?" He asked Jo.

"We had a plan to play a trick on you. It was actually pretty funny but now that Bonnie showed herself we can't get through with it. Maybe next time."

"You two are so mean." Kai said and both Bonnie and Jo smiled at the comment like proud children.

They started walking to the exit. "So, now that the team is reunited, what should we do tonight?" Jo asked enthusiastically.

"Well, you guys can go ahead and do something crazy but I have a hot date with my bed, alright?"

"Oh, come on. Don't be such a kill-joy." Jo frowned but Kai didn't cave.

"Hell no, sissy. I just spend more than 12 hours sitting on the plane next to a guy that just didn't know how to shut up. I'm exhausted."

"Sounds more like you made a new friend." Bonnie teased and earned a glare for her comment form Kai and a laugh from Jo.

But the two girls weren't able to convince him to do anything but fall asleep right when he got home and Bonnie actually understood. Flying was exhausting and as much as she would like to hear all about his trip and spend as much time with him as possible, she knew he had to rest first. At some point even Jo backed down.

Jo dropped Bonnie off at her house and Kai promised to call her as soon as he would wake up from his sleeping-beauty sleep. When the car was out of her view she waited in front of her house for a second longer. Feelings of joy and happiness combined with the constant longing she had felt the past weeks flushed her body and she sighed heavily before entering her house.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"You look like a zombie." Bonnie stated not more than 18 hours later. Kai had managed to actually sleep for 8 hours straight after coming home and greeting all of his family. For him, that was a record. What jet lack could do to people. But of course his body was still living in another time zone so he looked like he would pass out every minute now.

Even though Bonnie had claimed she would wait another few hours to see him and give him the rest that he so desperately needed, Kai had demanded to see her, saying that he promises her to make the rest of the summer memorable. Bonnie was a little smitten with that, even though the worry outweighed the fluffy feeling inside her.

Right now, they were sitting on a stone wall in Oregon Zoo watching the meerkats fight over the freshly offered food, while they were licking some ice cream. Kai only laughed at her comment while he kept his attention on his ice cream and the tiny animals in front of them in turns. Bonnie leaned forward to get a better view of his face. Forgotten were all the other people and the adorable creatures surrounding them. Kai turned his head to meet her worried gaze.

"Bon, stop worrying about me every five minutes. I'm fine, it's not like I have never had a jet lack before in my life. I can deal with it." Kai scoffed.

"Sorry for caring. Just want to make sure you're not falling off his wall and ending up someone's dinner." Bonnie pointed over her shoulder to the lion's compound. They had spent several minutes in front of it just moments ago, due to the fact that Bonnie couldn't keep her eyes away from the beautiful creatures behind the security windows. Now, she was taking a lot of interest in watching Kai instead. Guess she just swapped one beautiful creature with another.

"Real nice to see you care but like I said, I'll be fine. Give me another two days and I'll be back to my old marvelous self." Kai grinned smugly at her and earned a slight punch for his comment.

Bonnie smirked. "And you couldn't have waited another two days longer to make the rest of my summer a living hell?" she teased.

"Hey, I recall a certain Bennett giving me a hard time over coming home soon. You sounded so desperate that I couldn't bear the thought of you waiting a second longer than necessary. Plus, I think a day in the zoo has never hurt anyone."

When Bonnie ignored all the teasing and mocking in his statement she actually figured that he had been just as keen on seeing her again as she was to see him. Of course he would never verbally admit that but he didn't need to. She knew him well enough to read into his words and mockery tone to find the hidden subtext. It might seem hard for other people but for Bonnie Kai was kind of an open book. She always knew what he was really trying to say, mostly because he actually did- not mind what other people thought. But when it came to the emotional part he mostly hid himself in statements heavy with meaning only selected individuals would understand.

Bonnie now leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, letting the sun burn warm on her face while she breathed in the scent of the late summer and him. When she opened her eyes again to turn her attention back to her ice cream while leaving her head on his shoulder she saw a bunch of kids from their school. They weren't friends of any kind and she wasn't even sure of some of their names but they knew each other and so both her and Kai waved a hand to the group of five passing by them. They all smiled and waved back, while going on. One of the girls of the group turned around again to cast them a mysterious look before she and her two girlfriends stuck their heads together, starting to obviously gossip about something.

Maybe it was the way they had found Bonnie and Kai sitting on the wall that made them curious. Not everyone at school had caught up to their reconcilement and maybe seeing them together, sitting close to another set them off. Or maybe they just talked about Kai. Bonnie witnessed a lot of girls turning their heads at him and every time it happened a little wave of jealousy spread through her but quickly faded when she reminded herself that it wasn't her place. Yeah, that was more likely the case. One of them was probably desperately in love with the school's bad boy and none of them bothered about Bonnie and Kai's closeness in that way.

Bonnie sat up right and faced him now. "So, I've been thinking. Not that I am not grateful for you spending you time with me, but I have to say I do feel a little guilty. It feels like I pressured you into spending time with me and keeping you away from your well deserved sleep. So, if you need a few more days to relax, I'm not going to be mad, you know. I just want to see a little bit of you while the summer is still around."

Kai looked at her unimpressed, raising one eyebrow. "Do you really think you can pressure me into spending time with you? Just let it go, Bon. You're not getting rid of me that easy. You've spent too many summers without the special Parker treatment, so I am going to make sure the rest of this summer is going to have a big dose of it." He smiled a content smile, which made Bonnie's heartbeat rise, before he jumped off the wall and offered his hand to help her get off herself. Not too ladylike Bonnie managed to get off and stumbled into his arms. The feeling of safety instantly flooded her body when she was enveloped in his strong hold. Way to soon Kai stepped away from her and put on his sunglasses. After that he offered his hand for her to take it and lead her further into the zoo.

 **Author's note: Okay, I was procrastinating like hell these past few days and that is to your benefit. Just finished another chapter, just wished I was as consequent with my bachelor thesis as I am with writing this story. I hope you liked it and I hope that the Bonkai fandom is still up and running. Have a feeling that it's not as active as it used to be and I am a little scared about that. Well, the storyline is heating up. Good, or maybe not so good, stuff is coming up soon. So stay tuned.**


	39. Chapter Thirty-Nine: Serious Business

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Serious Business

The weather was getting worse. Not totally bad but it was way more pleasant to breathe than the last couple of weeks. Bonnie was still wearing shorts, tops and skirts but when she left her house in the late evening to accompany Kai to some crazy activity, she had to bring a coat.

The two had spent nearly every free minute with each other. That fact had earned them some doubtful looks of the family-fraction. Abby had kept her inquisition to herself once Bonnie told her there was nothing going on between them and only raised a knowing eyebrow. Jo had stopped paying attention to their ongoing flirtation weeks before Kai had left for England and every once in a while, when the Parker matriarch wasn't laying down, even Evelyn Parker smirked at the sight of Bonnie and her eldest son together.

Mrs. Parker's condition was getting worse. She was now always tired and resting. The household help that Joshua Parker had employed was now there every day, helping the family to get along. Kai assured her that his mother's condition was nowhere to critical but the way that he always looked away after telling her, made Bonnie aware of the fact that he was trying to escape the burdening topic. Jo would only confirm her suspicions when she told her that Kai likes to distract himself whenever there is something bigger than him looming over his head. He was putting on a show for her not to worry, for sure.

Faster that she could imagine the summer was over and they had to go back to school. Senior year was at the ready and Bonnie couldn't believe that this would be her last high school year. She now had to think about what she wanted to do with her life. As if living in the here and now wasn't hard enough already, especially when a certain someone made her life a living torture.

Her feelings for Kai hadn't died out like she had hoped they would. On the contrary, during his absence they only intensified and made themselves a home in her heart and mind. Because she saw Kai nearly every day, she was reminded of her feelings on a daily basis. No chance to forget about this boy. But the hardest part about it was that sometime's she had the feeling that Kai was flirting with her. It was hard to tell because Kai had always been teasing, touchy and intruded her personal space but lately she found him watching her while she was busy doing something else. Or all the intensity in his eyes while they were talking serious stuff. His funny and humorous way of making her smile on a more regular basis and his intense smirk that made her wonder what he was thinking, added to that impression. But most of all the closeness between them struck her. They were constantly touching in some form. Hugging, wrapped arms around her shoulder, sitting next to each other and thighs touching, his hand on her back while he is ushering them through a crowd of people and even holding hands. Maybe it is all her imagination because she wants him to do these things, she wants these things to mean something, but maybe this has always been the way they interacted. Anyways it was torturing her and not less often she caught herself staring at his beautiful face.

The last day of the summer break Jo took Bonnie shopping. Kai had refused to come with them because he hated going to the mall but Bonnie asked Faye to accompany the two. They spend most of the time shopping a new outfit for their last first day of school. They wanted to be remembered, which they all knew was ridiculous. In less than a year no one would even remember any of the senior's but it was still fun.  
They went to grab a cold smoothie when they decided a break was appropriate and sat down in one of the tiny smoothie cafes. They were having girl talk, mentioning Faye's summer hook ups and Jo's decision to finally ditch Timothy Laughlin after all, which earned her a bear hug and congratulations from Bonnie. When Faye asked about Bonnie's summer achievement, meaning possible boy toys, Bonnie shrugged and told her there was nothing new on the horizon for her and she meant it, actively pushing the thought of Kai's recent behavior away.

Talking, or rather thinking, about the devil Kai joined the three girls table. He placed himself between Faye and Bonnie and slouched into the chair. "Hello ladies."

Faye and Jo greeted him, only Bonnie stayed silent, her ability to form coherent sentences suddenly gone with just one look at his face. She shook her head and reminded herself to get a grip before she turned to him, eyes mock-accusing. "Thought you hated shopping? That it was a girls-thing."

"Still thinking that but I'm not here to shop anything but to steal your drink." With that Kai took Bonnie's smoothie and sipped on it. Bonnie only rolled her eyes and turned her gaze back to the girls, more for self-preservational reasons than actual annoyance.

"You got mom's meds?" Jo asked while Kai was still drinking Bonnie's drink.

"Yup, was just about to head back home when I saw you guys and wondered if there was someone willing to join me?" For the last part he said upright and leaned over to Bonnie. She turned her head to look at him and found he was extremely close. Too close for her to breathe normally but she tried it anyway. If only Jo would have been there she might have not cared but Faye was sitting right next to her, watching her every move, especially now that Kai was sitting next to her. Faye was still not completely over the way he had treated her earlier this year when they were fighting, so she was naturally a little suspicious. Added to that, Bonnie had the suspicion that her friend didn't believe a word when she told her she was completely over Kai.

Bonnie now stared into his gray eyes intently directed to her own green ones and swallowed hard before she remembered how to breathe and shook her head. "I'm with them, shopping. Remember, idiot?" She turned her head away and caught Faye's extremely blank expression directed on the two of them.

"Fine, I'll leave you girls alone then. Call me later?" Kai said while he got up and Bonnie nodded and smiled. He waved at the girls on the table and turned around leaving, giving Bonnie the opportunity to finally take in a proper breath. Only after he had strayed from them she realized he had taken her smoothie with him.

"Hey, give me back my drink." She cried after him but he was already lost in the crowd of people. "I can't believe him." She mumbled to herself and turned back to Faye and Jo, only to be met by two intense pair of eyes watching her.

"What?" Bonnie asked, defensive.

"You little liar." Faye called out.

"Excuse me?"

"You lied to me. Earlier and a few weeks ago." Faye stared at her with open eyes.

"I'm still not following." Bonnie tried to overplay her uneasiness.

"Oh, cut the crap Bennett. You lied when you told me that there was nothing between you and Kai anymore. You just admitted this to us 10 minutes ago but this was clearly not true."

"Well, I don't care if you believe me or not, but I was actually not lying…"

Bonnie was cut short by Faye's derisive laughter. "Oh yeah? Then tell me why he just looked like he wanted to eat you alive, Bonnie?"

Bonnie opened her mouth to reply something but was thrown aback when Faye's statement sank in. "No he didn't." Bonnie claimed, completely unbelieving.

"Oh honey, trust me he did." Faye said watching her while sipping her smoothie. Bonnie's gaze went from Faye and Jo, who was looking down at her lap, seemingly uncomfortable with the situation, like she had been when Jessica and Olive voiced they had the hots for her brother. "Jo, help me out here a little." Faye hit Jo's shoulder, her gaze not leaving Bonnie.

Jo raised her head and watched Bonnie now but she didn't say anything.

"Faye, this is her brother you're talking about. I don't think she is very keen on talking about who or not he wants to eat alive." Bonnie tried to protect Jo and change the subject in the process but to her surprise Jo cleared her throat.

"Actually, Faye is right." Jo admitted silently.

Bonnie's eyes widened at that statement and even Faye, who had probably not imagined Jo agreeing with her, turned around and faced her. Jo sighed before she continued to talk. "Apart from you, I am probably the person that knows Kai the best. While growing up we were always inseparable. When we got older it became clear, very quickly, that Kai was somehow not able or not willing to let all the emotions in. He had superficial relationships with girls, if you want to call them that. He dated but it was clear as day to me that he had never intended anything serious with any of them. Until now." Jo looked at her directly now and something inside Bonnie squeezed. Her heart was pumping fast and she was scared and excited to hear Jo continue.

"A few months ago, I recognized a change within my brother. He was happier, not as moody and seemed more balanced and I couldn't figure out what it was until I saw him with you. The two of you, your constant banter and laughing. He was happy around you. And then something else happened and you fought and he went straight back to being the dick I always knew. To be honest, I think he has never behaved worse than at that time. But now you're okay again. I mean, more than okay. You practically spent every free second with each other and everyone with eyes can see that you've totally fallen for him and his charms. Under different circumstances and with a different girl, I would advise you to run like hell, but it is you. The way he looks at you, the way he talks to you, hell, the way he talks ABOUT you. Bonnie, I have never seen him like this before. I'm almost 100% certain that he is falling for you too." She swallowed. "I think you two should talk."

Bonnie was speechless. Jo's observations about her brother caught Bonnie by surprise. She had had suspicions herself but now that someone had voiced the same thing Bonnie started to panic inside. There was no way Kai Parker was into her. No-fucking-way.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Later that evening, when she had finally managed to gather enough courage to call Kai she nearly smashed her phone against the wall when she heard the dial tone. She didn't know what exactly she wanted to say to him, only that she wanted to hear his voice. The nervousness spread across her entire body making her walk up and down in her room. Since she got home she had been thinking about what Jo had said but finally came to the conclusion that she wouldn't talk to him. At least not yet. She wanted to take a closer look at the boy who was supposed to like her the same way she liked him. There was no way she would embarrass herself in front of him by confronting him about feelings he might not even have. Given their history, it was even more unwise. So, only if she was 100% certain that neither she nor Jo had imagined this change in his behavior would she address the elephant in the room.

"Hello?" said a hoarse voice on the other end of the phone.

"Oh, hi." Bonnie greeted Kai back. "Did I wake you?" Bonnie turned to check the time, she thought that it had only been 9 p.m. and knowing that Kai didn't sleep until late at night, she thought it would have been okay to call. But his voice clearly held a trace of sleep in it.

"No." Kai reassured her. "I mean, yes but it's okay. I didn't want to fall asleep anyways."

"Oh, sorry. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Don't know what happened, I was just super tired all of a sudden."

"Well, maybe you are just excited for first day of school tomorrow." Bonnie teased, the nervousness slightly gone.

"Ha ha, very funny. Did they spike your smoothie with laughing gas earlier?" He teased back.

"How would I know, for you drank all of it."

Bonnie could hear a chuckle on the other end of the phone and that sound send a smile on her face. She just loved the sound of his laughter.

"So, was there anything particular you wanted to tell me?" Kai asked.

"Ehm, I just wanted to call to see how you were doing and to make sure you are going to show up tomorrow."

"Please, of course I will show up. I'm always there for the first few days, only to show the freshmen who the boss in the school really is."

"Very mature." Bonnie stated but couldn't help but smile. "So, I guess I shouldn't hold you up any longer. Your beauty sleep awaits you."

"Nah, I don't need that. I look way better when I am overtired anyways."

Thinking about the fact that Kai was an uneasy sleeper and that he sometimes didn't get more that 4 hours of sleep, his statement held some truth. He had to be tired a lot of times and Bonnie would always think he looked attractive, despite his state.

"Well, if you want to stay up all night, that's your decision to make. But I won't have any part in it. So, I'm going to hang up now. I wish you a very nice night and I'll see you tomorrow."

There was a short silence on the other end and then Bonnie heard "Good night, Bon." in Kai's usual lovely voice. She smiled and hung up before he could draw her in another conversation. It was still early but she let herself fall onto her bed, closing her eyes and wishing to drift off to sleep so that the next day would come faster.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . …

They had been wrong. Jo, Faye, herself. They had all been wrong. This was Bonnie's epiphany a week into school life. On the first day of school she had paid extra close attention on the way Kai behaved and the following days she continued her secret examination. There was no trace of his touchy-feely version from just a few weeks earlier and Bonnie started to doubt that she had ever even witnessed it in the first place. On the first day she instantly ran into Kai when she parked her car. He was already waiting for her by the entrance to check out their schedule together. He was excited to see they had more than 50% of the classes together, which Bonnie didn't mind at all either. Spending time with Kai was in no way torturous any more.

When lunch time rolled around they met up with the gang and ate their lunch together. Kai had been especially cheerful, even though it was the first day of school. Everyone was happy to see each other again. Perry and Kai even hugged it out, another weird thing that happened that day. The only one being grumpy was Connor. He threw Kai some evil glances which Kai chose to ignore. Bonnie didn't know what happened between the two of them because Connor had been skeptical towards Kai from the start. Luckily, Kai's mood kept him from provoking Connor back and making this even more unpleasant.

Bonnie had hoped that after the summer the air would have been cleared between her and Connor but except for greeting her, Connor had chosen to ignore her. Well, it was fine by her.

Anyways, Kai behaved like an excited kid entering a chocolate factory the entire week. Something about the first week of school was getting him really excited that Bonnie suspected there was alcohol involved. So during this week he showed no sign of affection, at least no suspicious one. He hugged her and smiled his usual warm smile but nothing like secret longing or intense eye contact. So Bonnie decided, at the end of the second week of school, that they must have been wrong. Kai had no feelings for her. It would have been too weird anyways. And no way would she have mentioned her suspicion now anyways. She was going to leave for Mystic Falls for her father's birthday tomorrow and she wouldn't risk starting a conversation about unreturned feelings with him when she would leave the next day and the possibility of not ending that conversation on a good note would rise into the unknown. No, she was glad that she had been wrong. Saved her from a lot of stress, discussion and embarrassment.

"Earth to Bon!" Kai's voice reached her through her cloudy mind.

"Huh?"

Kai chuckled and lay back down into the grass. They had a free period and decided to spend it outside in the warm September sun. Bonnie was sitting, back leaning against a tree, while Kai had laid down the second they arrived. "Where did your mind drift off to?"

"Oh, nowhere. I was just thinking about my visit to Mystic Falls."

"You really aren't too keen on going back home this time, are you?" Kai asked, turning his head to get a better view of her face.

Bonnie sighed. He was right. Usually she was excited to go back to Virginia but it would only be for two days and that would mean she would have no time to spend with Elena and Caroline but just with family. And her dad's side of the family was more than boring. So her excitement was running a little low, even though Care had promised to make an appearance on Saturday.

"Well, I could think of a few better things to do with my time than to spend it with estranged family. It's still my weekend after all." Bonnie complained. A shiver went down her body when a gust of wind stirred so she moved over to where Kai was laying in the sun and placed herself next to him.

"Come on, it's your dad's birthday. Try faking a little excitement?"

"Coming from you, that's bold." Bonnie chuckled, facing the sky.

"Unlike me, you actually have positive feelings for your father. So please-" He turned on his side and watched her intently. "-for me?"

Bonnie shook her head lightly, fighting back a smile. She turned her head to face him and gave him the most exaggerated smile she could muster. He laughed at her.

"See, wasn't so hard was it?" His voice was silky, his expression soft. No trace of mockery to be found. Their gazes stayed locked for the longest moment, neither one willing to look away and break the contact. Aaaand there went all her certainty that Kai Parker had no feelings for her. This felt exactly like the moments they shared leading up to their first time by the lake. She wanted to punch him for being so shady about his intentions. Now that she had decided that there was no way he would feel anything for her, he comes around and gives her one of these intense, breathtaking looks and her entire body changes his state form firm to pudding, her heart bumping in her chest like crazy. To top it all, he reached out a hand and gently tugged a loose strand of hair back behind her ear, his fingertips slightly brushing over her cheek and jaw, leaving a tingling feeling everywhere he touched.

Bonnie breathed in visibly, not caring if he saw it or not. He could be aware of what he was doing to her, how unfair he was behaving. Telling her that it would never be the same between them, shutting her out of the possibility of them ever becoming more than friends and then looking at her like that, teasing her with his touch. He didn't play by his own rules and Bonnie didn't know if she hated that fact more or the irrational reaction she was having to it.

Kai's gaze dropped to her mouth for a second before they wandered back to lock with hers again. He would have to decide whether he wants to kiss her or not, because Bonnie wouldn't do anything. She had been the one pushing their relationship forward all this time and he has been the one to decline it. It was his turn to decide what to do.

Kai tilted his head just the slightest bit and Bonnie's heart stopped. Right when she thought he would lean in and kiss her she heard laughter and footsteps and Kai looked up to see who was approaching. With that the moment was ruined and Bonnie quickly turned her head to face the sky again before she sat back up and faced the approaching group. She wanted to roll her eyes as she realized it was Faye with Liza, Perry and Connor in tow. Why, oh why, did her friends have the talent to interrupt in the most inappropriate moments?

"Hey guys, mind if we join you on this lovely day?" Perry asked but Liza and Faye had already placed themselves on the ground next to Bonnie, not caring for an answer. Kai followed Bonnie's example and sat up, smiling at the group. He was way better at hiding his emotions than Bonnie was, cause she had to try not to look at any of her friends now because she would only send them death glares. That would lead to questions she wasn't willing to answer. Her mood had dropped and it wasn't getting back up, she was sure of it.

"You have a free period?" Liza asked Bonnie, which forced her to return her gaze back to the group. She only nodded in response to that, not trusting her voice to keep the spite out. Liza told her that they ended class earlier and kept on babbling about the new school year. Bonnie zoned out and looked around. A few other students had joined them outside, sitting in the sun. The others started to have a decent conversation but Bonnie had no idea what they were saying. The moment she had shared with Kai just minutes ago still lingered in her brain. Slowly and without realizing it she turned her gaze back to the group, watching her friends and then when her eyes reached Kai, she realized he didn't pay any attention to what was going on around them either. He was watching her. His expression was neutral, nothing to be read into it but the fact that he was looking at her alone said enough.

Quickly, before her body could again react in irrational ways, she looked away. She found Faye's eyes locked on her. Her stare was intense but she didn't raise an eyebrow like she usually would when she was implying there was something going on between Kai and her. No, Faye knew they had interrupted something and her look was trying to tell Bonnie that she was sorry without raising the attention of the others. Bonnie smiled at her reassuringly and then stood up.

"I'm going to head inside, need to get a book from the library. See you guys later?" She didn't wait for an answer but turned around and went inside. She needed to be alone right now.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bonnie was done packing her stuff for the weekend at her dad's. Now she was sitting in her car, on her way to the Parker house. She had promised Kai earlier that she would come say good bye before she left early in the morning. When she rang the bell it was Melinda who opened it. When she saw who it was she turned around instantly and yelled for her brother, then she was gone.

Bonnie took of her coat and shoes and went directly to Kai's room. When she entered without bothering to knock she spotted Kai sitting on his desk, searching for something on the internet. He seemed to be focused on that and so she walked over to him, leaned over his shoulder and asked "Don't you think it rude to ignore your guest?"

Kai nearly jumped off his chair. He gasped and held his hand to his chest. Bonnie was laughing at the sight. She had never managed to scare him and the sight was just too amusing.

"Are you crazy? You scared me." Kai accused her, seemingly out of breath. He got up from the chair and went over to his bed, sitting down and stabilizing himself with his arms. He looked like he had just sprinted here and needed to catch his breath now.

Bonnie was still chuckling when she went over to him and let herself fall onto the bed next to him. "Oh, someone's being a big baby. It's not my fault you seem to be deaf. Didn't you hear Melinda screaming I was here? It was loud as fuck."

"No, I didn't. I was concentrated." She gestured to the laptop still open on his desk and Bonnie saw a baseball game playing on the screen. "Gosh, I hate Melinda." Kai added and earned a serious look from Bonnie.

"No, you don't."

"Yeah, I do. Out of all my siblings she is the most annoying one, little brat." Bonnie knew he was only half joking, because she felt the same way. Melinda WAS a brat and WAS the most annoying of the Parkers but she also knew that Kai didn't really hate her. She was still his sister.

"Well, be thankful to have siblings. I always wanted some but well… guess my parents had different plans, didn't they?" Bonnie joked.

"Talking about family- are you ready to spend the entire weekend with yours?" Kai smirked now, knowing exactly how much she didn't want to go.

"Ha ha, you're funny today." Bonnie stuck out her tongue and he did the same. They both smiled at each other. "No seriously, I wish at least Caroline or Elena would come. I would take Amber Bradley at this point only to not be the only one under the age of 40."

Kai laughed at her comment and Bonnie bumped her shoulder into his side. "I know it's pathetic, but I might even miss you a little bit." Bonnie said, looking down to her hands in her lap, a sudden wave of sadness overcoming her. She would most definitely miss him and she was still annoyed by the way they were interrupted earlier. One of the reasons she came here today was that she hoped to find a way to address what happened, even though she had decided to drop the topic. But earlier was just so confusing to her and she needed clarification.

"Hey, it's only two days." Kai said softly. Bonnie didn't look up. She must have looked devastated because Kai moved closer to her, tried to look her in the eyes and caressed her cheek. His touch made her look up into his eyes. They were warm, caring and intense. It was a little like when they were lying in the grass only now they were closer and no one would interrupt. Bonnie didn't dare to move, because she was afraid it might scare him off. Once again it was Kai's turn to decide what was happening next and he looked at her lips and then sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a second. Bonnie had already given up and wanted to turn her head when he was closing the distance between them and placed a soft kiss onto her lips.

Intuitively, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the pricking feeling that was forming in her stomach. It had been so long that she had felt his lips on hers and she had been longing for it the entire summer, so now that it was finally happening it felt so unreal. The kiss didn't last too long, and Bonnie opened her eyes again to see Kai watching her with wide eyes. A second later he gently grabbed both sides of her face and pulled her to him for another kiss, still gentle and soft but more intense. The thoughts rushed through her mind and suddenly she had so many worries and doubts come to the surface that she pulled away. "Wait…"

Kai looked at her with confusion. He was probably wondering if he read her wrong and opened his mouth to apologize when Bonnie cut him short. "I can't do this. Not if you are going to tell me that it meant nothing a second later. This feels too important to me to be messed with. So if you are going to push me away again…"

"I won't!" He interrupted her and when Bonnie looked him in the eyes, she could see he was serious. That took her breath away and she gasped. She felt like she could start crying every second and because that would totally ruin the moment she pressed her lips on Kai's to distract him and herself. The sudden kiss seemed to have taken Kai by surprise because it took him a few seconds before he hesitantly pulled his hands up to place them around her neck and pulling her even closer.

This entire time, their kiss stayed gentle, sweet and meaningful. Kai's hands rested on her neck, his thumbs brushing along her jaw and her hands were placed on his chest. It was such a defying moment for them that neither one wanted to break away or change the pace. Anyways, Bonnie felt like she needed to be even closer to him and without thinking twice about it or breaking the kiss she climbed onto Kai's lap and felt his arms being wrapped around her back, caging her in and making her heart beat even faster. In this tight embrace Bonnie felt comfortable, warm and safe.

There was no way of telling how long they were kissing. It felt like they could waste their entire lives with this slow kiss and neither of them would care. After a while Bonnie leaned closer to Kai so he would slowly lean back until his back hit the mattress, pulling Bonnie down with him. Bonnie was half lying on Kai half sitting, her thighs pressed gently into his rips. She could feel Kai's arms were still wrapped around her waist but now he started to slowly move. His hands wandered underneath her shirt, caressing the lower part of her back and sending heat waves through Bonnie's body along their way.

Bonnie was completely lost. Nothing in the world mattered right now, only her and Kai finally giving into their feelings. She felt dizzy from the lack of oxygen but it was simply the best feeling she could imagine. When Kai grabbed her waist tighter and smoothly lifted her up to change their positions she nearly didn't feel that. Only the lack of his lips on hers made her open her eyes for a second and see that now she was the one being pressed into the cushions of the bed and Kai hovered above her. A second later all she could see was darkness, because she had closed her eyes once more, enjoying the return of Kai's lips on hers. Her hands wandered up around his neck with the intent to pull him even closer to her, but that was simply not possible. Kai was half lying on Bonnie, half lying on the mattress; his left hand was still hidden underneath Bonnie's shirt, slowly drawing circles on her hips. Kai's mouth wandered from her lips to her cheek, pressing sweet little pecks all over them until he trailed them back along her jaw. Bonnie craned her neck to give Kai better access and silently moaned.

When Kai reached her lips again, Bonnie opened her mouth and slowly slit her tongue into his mouth, deepening the kiss but not changing its overall gentleness. The way they kissed and moved was like a dream. Bonnie felt so light, like she was lying on a cloud and she didn't even think about her actions anymore. Their movements were fully automatic, only when Kai's hands were holding the hem of her shirt, they shortly broke away from each other. Kai looked at Bonnie with intensity, his eyes full of want and passion, searching her face for permission to take the next step. The moment was so special that neither of them wanted to say something, so Bonnie did the only thing she could to ensure him her consent. She grabbed the hem of Kai's shirt and pulled it up over his head. Gratefully Kai leaned down and kissed her softly, before he followed her example and freed Bonnie of her shirt. Kai moved his body so that Bonnie was now caging him in between her legs. While kissing her, he traced his index finger down her side and when he reached her thigh he pulled her leg up underneath her knee. After a while his lips slowly started their journey down Bonnie's neck and collar bone. Bonnie's hands followed the trail because they were loosely buried in his hair. When Kai's kisses reached the swell of her breasts Bonnie helped Kai by aching off the bed and giving him easier access to her bra. The next moment the bra was gone Kai pressed his nose in between her exposed breasts, taking a deep smell of her skin before he continued downwards.

Even though their actions were still gentle and sweet and not at all seeming like they were in a rush to finally get it out of their systems, Bonnie felt the lust deep within her spark to life. It was different this time though. It felt… more important. So she wouldn't dare speeding their actions up particularly when Kai seemed to enjoy it as much as she did. Little moans escaped her every now and then and when Kai reached the waistband of Bonnie's pants she exhaled heavily. With no hesitation Kai opened her pants and before Bonnie could clear her cloudy thoughts they were already on the floor next to his bed, along with her panties. Bonnie felt Kai's trail of kisses rise again towards her face, faster this time. It seemed like he was eager to find her lips once more so when he did, the kiss was desperate and passionate, mind-blowing even. Bonnie quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, to keep him in place, never to let him leave again.

The pulsing feeling in her lower body part became stronger the longer they were exploring each other's mouths. Without letting go of his lips Bonnie dragged her hands down Kai's torso and when she reached the waistband of his pants she eagerly unbuttoned it. With combined effort his pants and boxers were lying right next to Bonnie's on the floor. While they were still heavily making out Bonnie could feel Kai's erection, showing her that he was just as ready to really be with her then she was. And when he finally pushed himself into Bonnie it wasn't with the force that she experienced the first two times they had sex before. He slid in slowly, carefully. They both moaned from the incredible feeling of the other. A few seconds passed and Bonnie felt how perfectly the two of them were shaped for each other. Then Kai started moving his hips slowly, resulting in another round of moans. This entire time he never let go of Bonnie's lips, either kissing her, gently nibbling on her lower lip or only softly brushing his lips over hers.

Bonnie quickly joined in Kai's slow movements and both their breathing quickened. It was like going crazy for Bonnie, now that she was as close to Kai as she could get, she felt the overwhelming need to be even closer. So she wrapped her arms around his back, softly but strongly pinning him to her. His left hand was cupping her cheek while the other send sparks through her body on its search for her breast, which he gently caressed once he found them. They had fallen into a slow-dance, slowly moving their hips in unison, kissing each other or placing soft little pecks on the others cheek and panting into each other's mouths. It was nothing but intense and unique. Nothing that Bonnie had ever felt before. The thought crossed Bonnie's mind that this is how it should have been the first time they had sex. She was awestruck that she was experiencing this moment right now, that with such little effort she felt like she was having the best and most important night of her life. With only a slight increase of speed Bonnie and Kai both climaxed at the same time, making this moment even more precious.

Kai lowered his body weight onto her very slowly and pressed his cheek to hers, while they were both trying to catch their breaths. But Bonnie didn't get the chance to recover properly because Kai was already hovering above her and kissing her fiercely. Still in a dream-like state from their passionate intercourse, this additional sign of affection from his side, swept Bonnie even further off her feet. After a while, they broke the kiss to catch some air and Kai pressed his forehead to Bonnie's thus not fully breaking their physical connection.

Kai brushed his nose along Bonnie's and inhaled audibly. Bonnie reached her hand up and buried it into his hair, slowly massaging his skull. Kai relaxed into her touch. He dropped down on the mattress next to her and buried his face in the crook of her neck, wrapping his arms tightly around her upper body. They lay like this for a few quite moments and Bonnie felt a wave of tiredness flood her body.

She felt soft pecks being placed first on her neck before they went higher and reached her jaw and finally her cheek. Bonnie closed her eyes to the sensation she was feeling. She was drifting off into a state of happy sleepiness when she heard his soft whisper "Stay."

She thought she had imagined it but when she turned her head to face him she was looking into hopeful ocean-blues and she knew she hadn't imagined it. She sighed heavily.

"You know I can't. I have to go to the airport by 3 am."

"Where is the problem? You can go to the airport from here, can't you?"

"Yeah, technically I could. But I don't want to wake you up in the middle of the night."

"I don't mind waking up." Kai said and started kissing her neck again.

Bonnie nearly lost herself in his kisses again, tilting her head to give him better access, before she remembered to stay strong. "Kai, I really can't. I still have all my stuff at home and I wouldn't know how to tell my mom where I am. She is supposed to drive me to the airport, I can't leave my car at the airport."

Kai suddenly stopped kissing her and brought his face right into her focus. "I could drive you. And after that I'll drive your car back to your house, problem solved."

He grinned a boyish grin and Bonnie had to smile. She touched his cheek and pulled him down for a soft kiss before she sighed. "I really can't stay, I'm sorry."

Kai sighed as well, defeated. He looked at her and Bonnie's heart broke from all the disappointment and sadness she could clearly see in his eyes. She was surprised that he showed his feelings this openly, normally he would guard them but tonight was something else. Tonight they were completely honest with each other and that included showing of feelings. Kai looked away from her eyes which only amplified the impression of a lost puppy he was giving Bonnie and the guilt within her sparked to life.

"Hey, that doesn't mean I have to leave right away." She softly whispered which made him look back at her again, a sad smile on his lips. He lowered them onto Bonnie's once more for a short moment before he lay on his side and watched Bonnie with his arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. Bonnie turned on her side so she could directly face Kai and moved even closer to him until her chest was pressed to his. She grabbed his blanked and placed it over their bodies. Their noses were nearly touching while their heads rested on the same pillow. Bonnie reached for his cheek and kissed him once more, closing her eyes. Their kiss was deepened and their tongues were dancing a slow dance again for what felt like hours.

When they finally broke away from each other, Bonnie felt a little dizzy from the lack of oxygen and the tiredness resurfacing again. Kai nestled his face into the crook of her neck again and readjusted his body, embracing Bonnie by pulling her close. Bonnie smiled a tired smiled and started caressing his neck and upper back, before placing a soft kiss on the top of his head. Within a few moments she felt Kai's steady breathing on her skin, indicating that he had fallen asleep. Once more Bonnie's thoughts went back to the past day, what happened in school and how they ended up naked, entwined and ridiculously happy in his bed. It was close to a miracle.

The warmth from Kai's body and the blanket wrapped around them was adding to Bonnie's sleepy state. She had decided to wait a little longer before she would have to get up and ultimately wake Kai up from his slumber so she could head home. 'Just a little while longer' Bonnie thought to herself when she closed her eyes to rest them for just a second.

 **Author's note: Am I the only one that was freaking out about Kai's return on The Vampire Diaries? In the wake of last night's episode I was inspired to speed up my writing and present you with this important chapter. I know there were no Bonnie and Kai interaction (what a shame) and I really do hope us Bonkai fan will get at least one little scene in next weeks episode, but tell me how cute it was when Kai asked Damon if Bonnie sounded like she missed him? I cried at the end of the episode because when I started watching it, I was sure this would be the last I would ever see of my boy Kai Parker and I was super excited when I saw the promo of next week's episode and he is STILL there. Gosh, it is a gift from heaven (or hell apparently). I am really trying to up my game and upload another chapter by next week's episode, I feel so inspired right now. So fingers crossed for that. Shout out to my fellow Bonkai lovers. You guys rock.**


	40. Chapter Forty: Breaking Point

Chapter Forty: Breaking Point

When Bonnie reopened her eyes she found herself in a dark room. At first she didn't recognize where she was, all she knew was that she felt happy and warm inside but there was something else. She needed to be somewhere.

With shock she rose up in bed, only then realizing that she might wake Kai up, who was still lying next to her, fast asleep. She looked down on him to check if she interrupted his rest only to find him lying calm and relaxed next to her. Her gaze rested on him for a while, a smile build on her face. He looked so cute and innocent when he was sleeping that it warmed Bonnie's heart seeing him like this. She gave herself another few seconds to appreciate him before she carefully slipped out of bed and got dressed, always careful not to wake him.

After that she searched for a paper and a pen and wrote him a letter, explaining her leave without waking him and telling him she would call him when she got to Mystic Falls. She checked the time only to realize it was only 11:15 p.m. When she got home there was a good chance her mom wouldn't ask any weird questions about her being away all night. She grabbed all her remaining stuff and tiptoed to the door. Casting one last look at the sleeping form of Kai, Bonnie couldn't hold back a small sigh and a tingling feeling in her stomach before she snuck out his room and out the house to drive back home and get herself ready for her trip to Mystic Falls.

. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She got home, checked off the last things on her to do list before she left for Virginia and quickly went to bed. She was tired like hell but she couldn't stop her heart from beating like hell. The memories of what happened between her and Kai were freshly caved into her mind and made her grin like a freaking moron. She really had to get that under control if she didn't want to let everyone know form just one look at her that she was hiding something important. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell people but she wanted to wait until she had a proper talk with Kai about this night before she went running around telling everyone how happy she was. She might have felt the importance of this night pretty clearly but she also knew Kai and his way of hopping form one decision to another, changing his mind like other people changed underwear, especially when feelings were involved.

So she would wait, very patiently, until in a few days they would have the talk. And Bonnie would insist this time that they actually had it. A sigh cut through the darkness as she remembered the last time Kai and her were at this point and how everything went downhill after he found out about her arrangement with Bright. She just hoped that this time, there was nothing thrown in their way.

Bonnie closed her eyes now. In just a few short hours she would have to get up and go to the airport. Right now, she was at a low point in not wanting to go to her hometown. Not even the prospect of seeing Caroline would make her see the bright sight of this. Not if the alternative would be sleeping in Kai's strong arms right now and spending the entire weekend drowning herself in him. She would have to call him every free minute, he was going to think she was crazy but she didn't mind. She wanted him to know exactly how much she wanted to be with him rather than her family.

Her thoughts kept spinning around this topic for a while longer before her eyes finally fell closed and she fell into a dreamless, very short-lived sleep.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 _Just landed safely. Want to come back already_

Bonnie pressed the sent button the moment she landed in Virginia. On the plain, she tried to sleep but this kind of reminded her of how she finally talked to Kai the first time last year. She never knew why he had been on that plane that day and she made a mental note to ask him once she was back.

Strapping her bag over her shoulder she headed to the exit where her grandmother was already waiting for her. She offered her an honest and big smile before she hugged the older woman. Her grandmother would drive her straight to her father. The party was about to start in a few hours and her father had wanted to spent some quality time with his immediate family, that included her grams. The closer they got to his place the more Bonnie's unwillingness rose. Her grandmother picked up on that immediately.

"Child, what's on your mind?"

"Nothing grams, I just… had to think about some things I have to deal with back in Portland and how inconvenient this trip it right now."

Her grams tzed. "This is your father's birthday, young girl. Show a little more delight once you are in front of him."

Bonnie scoffed. "Yeah, of course, grams."

A little silence followed until grams asked her another question.

"So, these things back in Portland, any chance they might have to do with some boy?"

This woman had to be psychic; there was no other explanation for why she usually knew what was going on with Bonnie by just looking at her. Bonnie tried to avoid a stupid smile spreading across her face because she wanted to stick to her decision to keep what happened to herself, but her grandmother was making it so hard for her. So she decided to say nothing at all and turned her reddening face towards the window.

"Ah, I see. A young girl likes to keep secrets." Grams said in a joyful tone. "Don't worry, I won't mention your apparent reason to be such a happy little cupcake again. I just hope that he is finally worth all your emotions, Bonnie. Oh, and one more thing, if you don't want your father to notice that your happiness is because of that boy, you should dim the freshly lit light just a little bit. No one will believe you when you say the reason you're so happy is because of your old man's special day."

Bonnie gave her grandmother a sharp glance before she smiled once more. She didn't say anything, but she knew her grandmother had understood what her smile was about and she was glad. Now she only had to work on the blowing part of her appearance so that she could keep her secret.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Bonnie, there you are!"

"Elena?"

Her best friend was running towards Bonnie when she entered her father's garden after greeting him at the door and giving him his birthday-hug. The next thing she saw was brunette hair framing her view. Bonnie reluctantly hugged Elena back, surprised to find her at her dad's place. She knew that Caroline wanted to try and visit today, but she never heart from Elena.

When Elena finally let go of Bonnie the surprise was still written all over her face. "Why are you here?" Bonnie asked, trying not to sound rude.

"Well, I know this is supposed to be family only, but we basically are family now, right Bon? Stefan insisted that I would come along." Elena stated and only then Bonnie noticed all he strange people gathering in her father's garden.

There was Stefan, talking to a slightly older guy with slightly darker hair then himself but an awkward overall resemblance, that Bonnie had never seen before. And there was grams headed towards a woman with dark red hair who was in her early forties maybe. Finally the penny dropped and Bonnie face-palmed herself.

"Oh, how could I not think about this? Of course Lily Salvatore would be at my dad's birthday. Gosh, I'm such a dumbass." She turned to look at Elena. "Sorry, everything makes sense now. I am really glad you're here by the way."

Elena smiled and Bonnie returned it when she noticed Stefan heading their way.

"Hey, the lost daughter is back in town. Good to see you again, Bonnie." He greeted her.

"Hi, Stefan." Bonnie waved at him, trying very hard to look as neutral as she could, even though a feeling of distaste crept up her stomach. But she needed to try to overcome this feeling. After all Stefan was kind of her stepbrother now, so she needed to try liking him not only for Elena's sake, but also for herself.

When Stefan approached them he stopped right behind Elena and put one arm around her waist. The way Elena reacted to his presence, the way her face lit up and the warmth in her eyes in combination with this smile, gave Bonnie shivers and the wish to have the same. The same reaction to someone she cared about, in public, and said someone looking at her just the way Stefan now looked at Elena.

Suddenly, the urge to check her phone to see if Kai texted back was so strong that she was about to turn around to get it out of her bag before her father joined the group.

"I see you are getting along very well. That's nice." Rudy said and behind him, the woman with long red hair, Lily Salvatore, smiled warmly at Bonnie. "Bonnie, I want you to officially meet Lily. Lily, that's my daughter Bonnie."

"It is so nice to finally meet you, dear." Lilly said and reached out to Bonnie's hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"It's a pleasure." Bonnie said honestly and smiled back at the beautiful woman. She really was happy that her father had found someone knew. Even though she was… reserved towards her son, to put it mildly, she really wanted to like this woman. And she really wanted this to work, for Lily and her father.

After a quick chat, Lily excused herself because she wanted to look after the food in the kitchen. Her father crept a little closer and watched Bonnie intensely. "So, what do you think?"

"I like her, dad. She seems nice. I'm happy for you." Bonnie smiled and touched Rudy's arm to stress her statement.

"Good, that's a relief." Rudy laughed. "And what about the boys? I see you were already bonding with Stefan."

"Well, I wouldn't call it bonding." Bonnie answered, not able to keep her annoyance out of her voice. Her father looked at her questioningly, so Bonnie explained. "I'm not gonna lie to you dad, but I don't particularly like Stefan. I accept him as Elena's new boyfriend but that's all I can do. I am not ready to accept him as my new brother just yet. I need more time."

"I understand." Rudy nodded. "Well, maybe you'll have better luck with Damon." Rudy nodded to the guy Bonnie had noticed earlier and when Bonnie followed his movement with her gaze and spotted Damon Salvatore watching her with a dirty smirk and his eyebrows doing weird stuff in the meantime, a shiver went down her spine, but not in the best way.

"Yeah, maybe." Bonnie tried to sound confident. "Excuse me, dad. I have to get something." She turned around and left her "family" behind in the big garden.

. . . . …. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

If she thought she couldn't stand Stefan Salvatore, she had no idea what kind of an angel he was compared to his older brother Damon. His arrogant and overly cocky self was hitting something deep within Bonnie that was usually only reserved for racists, liars and her former history teacher Mr. Tanner. She nearly added arrogant jerks to that list but then she realized that apparently she was rather liking that type, seeing how much she liked Kai. But Damon Salvatore was just not her type of person.

Elena and Stefan seemed to agree with her on that one, because whenever he was around them they thought of another stupid reason to leave and avoid him. Bonnie had hoped that she would be able avoid meeting the older Salvatore brother at all, because the day had turned out to not be as great as she was feeling when it began and the reason for that might be the fact that Kai hadn't texted her back yet. It had been over 4 hours now, the party was in full mode and all Bonnie did was trying not to punch Damon in his ugly blue-eyed face and check her phone.

She even snug into the house to try and call him, but it only rang two times before she was redirected to his voice mail. What on earth was going on? She left a few more massages, trying to sound as cool as possible when inside she was starting to get nervous. Did Kai change his mind yet again?

"Earth to Bonnie?!" Elena's voice reached her ears.

"Heh?"

"What's going on?"

"Nothing." Bonnie looked back at the dark screen of her phone in her hand when she noticed Elena moving over from the chair that she had occupied next to Stefan to sit next to Bonnie on the bench.

"Don't lie to me, Bonnie. You've been absent ever since you arrived here. First I thought there was something happier about you, but now… you seem sad. Tell me."

Bonnie had decided that maybe she could break her silence treaty for Elena when a familiar female high-pitched voice reached them. "Tell her what?"

Caroline dropped down next to Bonnie and smiled a bright smile. "Hey girls."

Bonnie embraced Caroline in a tight hug at once, pressing her friend close. "Care, you made it." Bonnie said, fighting back any trace of uneasiness she currently felt.

Caroline hesitantly patted her back. "Okay, what's going on with her?" Caroline asked Elena and Bonnie let go of her.

"That's what I was about to find out." Elena stated and Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Guys, I'm fine." Bonnie lied because in that moment she realized Stefan was eying the three friends.

A quick look from Caroline and she immediately understood. "Why don't we go for a walk?" she suggested while standing up, nearly dragging Bonnie along. Elena followed her example and together they pushed Bonnie to their formed secret hide-out in the far corner of the garden, the sounds of the party now dimmed down to a background noise.

"Now, Bennett. Spill!" Caroline demanded bossily.

Bonnie sighed but she knew there was nothing she could do now, so she told them about the last couple weeks and last night and the fact that Kai hadn't texted her back yet.

Caroline and Elena listened to her yammering. Elena nodded occasionally and Caroline asked questions to get the full picture. In the end, they came to the same conclusion Bonnie had come to hours ago: she had to talk to Kai. Wandering back to the party, Bonnie realized how much better she felt now that she had talked to someone about it. Realization hit her that she might never be able to have a secret boyfriend, because she would run around asking people for advice when something happened that she didn't know how to deal with. But what where best friends for, right?

Back at the centre of the party, Bonnie had to avoid Damon once more. Elena rolled her eyes and when they reached their table, Bonnie turned to Stefan and confronted him about his weird older brother. Elena seemed to be content about Stefan's and Bonnie's ongoing discussion about the older Salvatore and soon the talk turned away from Damon to other topics and Elena and Caroline were included into the conversation. Maybe Bonnie had been wrong about Stefan after all. She wouldn't go as far as thinking that they were friends but maybe she could come to think of Stefan as an acquaintance.

The next few hours Bonnie danced and laughed alongside her friends, pretending that everything was alright, but never loosing the weird feeling in her gut that something wasn't right.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . … . . . . . . . . . .

The next day she spent eating breakfast with her father and grandmother. Checking her phone every 10 minutes. _Nothing._

After that she met up with Caroline and Elena for a quick coffee in the Mystic Grill, saying her goodbyes. When she checked her phone there was a notification on her screen. A message from her mother. Bonnie sight. Not the text she had been waiting for. Other than that, _nothing._

After meeting Care and Elena she went back to her dad's to pack her stuff. When she was done she tried calling Kai. _Nothing._ Straight to voice mail like the day before.

The feeling of anger mixed into the feeling of worry. What the hell was he doing? Was he okay? What did he think he was doing to her? It was weird he didn't pick up the phone. She wasn't going to let him toy with her again. Should she call Jo?

Bonnie shook her head. There was nothing she could do now, so she grabbed her stuff and went to see her dad who was driving her to the airport.

Right before she was heading into the plane, she checked her phone once more. _Nothing._

Wow, that boy could brace himself for some attitude when she saw him in school tomorrow. IF she saw him in school that was. Bonnie had no idea whether he would even show up. 'We will see.' Bonnie thought, turned the flight-mode on and disappeared into the plane.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next morning, Bonnie was putting extra effort into her styling. She had decided to be angry first and worried later and she wanted to show him the cold shoulder, showing him just how hard that was. Looking extra good would only add to his frustration, she was sure.

So when she entered the school, deliberately only a few minutes before class would start, she had to look through a bunch of school kids to see if she could spot Kai anywhere. She didn't expect to because he was only rarely showing up for the first lesson, so she was a little surprise to find him standing by his opened locker, putting stuff into his bag. Bonnie prepared for her nonchalant act while she was headed his way.

"Hey stranger, nice to see you are still among the living." Bonnie said with a little spite in her voice.

Kai didn't even look up to her, still busy searching for something in his locker.

Bonnie's anger rose. He was supposed to pay attention to her, while she was trying to be angry with him, so she waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello? Anyone home?"

Kai visibly tensed next to her, straightening his back. He slowly turned around and when Bonnie looked into his face, she was shocked. All her anger was immediately replaced by worry. He looked horrible. Deep bags under his eyes, looking pale and his hair was a bit messier than usually but the worst thing were his eyes. Where she usually found sparks of mischievousness or amusement- or hell anger- was…nothing. Those beautiful blues were looking at her and there was not a single emotion she could spot in them.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Bonnie asked and stepped a bit closer, reaching out her hand to cup his face but he withdrew from her touch. Bonnie poised in her position, shock both from Kai's general appearance and from this reaction to her sparking to life within her. Kai, turned back around, saying nothing, which made Bonnie even more worried.

"Hey! I can see there is something going on with you. You can talk to me." Bonnie tried once more.

Kai puffed air out of his nose and Bonnie realized that he was getting annoyed. She saw him roll his eyes. At least there was some kind of reaction in them now, even though Bonnie didn't like what she saw either. Her anger resurfaced, not as heavy as before but still.

"So, you don't text for an entire weekend. Alright, I can handle that, I'm mature enough to not think that I am the centre of the universe. You don't answer my calls either. Well, yeah I should take a hint right? Then you even decline my calls, that's something that is really pissing me off, you know? But you know what pisses me off the most? When I am standing right in front of you and you ignore me like I am some stupid stalker girl you have never met before. What did I do now, that would explain your childish behavior?" Bonnie ranted.

"Nothing." Was Kai's only response to that and Bonnie's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Really? That's all you're gonna give me?"

"Pretty much." Kai turned around and slammed his locker shut. He started walking and Bonnie tried to follow.

"Okay, what the hell is going on? There has to be some rational explanation for your behavior. Because if there is nothing I did to piss you off then it has to have something to do with you! So, as your friend, which last time I checked I still was, I demand to hear what is going on with you."

Kai suddenly stopped and turned around to her. "Can you for one second just shut up? Only because you don't get the answer that you want doesn't mean you have the right to nag everyone about it for the rest of eternity. Sometimes when someone tells you there is nothing going on, then that is the simple truth, Bonnie. So go and search for another charity case of the day, because I won't be it." With that he turned back around and left her speechless. Within seconds he was lost in the crowd and Bonnie was still standing in the middle of the hallway. Some other students watched her with pity but she quickly shook her head and caught herself, starting to walk to her class.

This had been the weirdest encounter with Kai Parker ever. And that says a lot, considering who she was talking about. He was just so unpredictable. But still, the weird feeling that had started to build up inside of her since her father's birthday party was getting stronger and stronger. She didn't want to but she was worried about Kai. Something was off, she knew it but of course he wouldn't tell her. She bet that the thing that was wrong was also the same thing that kept him from reaching out to her on the weekend.

Bonnie shook her head. As long as he didn't tell her what was going on, she couldn't help him. And as long as he didn't tell her, she would stay angry, she told herself, even though she was already feeling her anger fade away.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She didn't see him again that day. After school she went into the city and bought a few things her mother asked her to get on her way home. She was already annoyed from the day and didn't have too much enthusiasm left when her mother texted her the list of things to get.

But she did it anyway and now that she had her own car, it wasn't even that effortful. When she exited the drug store, she spotted a familiar looking figure on the other side of the road.

"Hey Jo." Bonnie yelled across the street and ran over to greet her friend. Jo, turned around and spotted Bonnie running her way. "Hey, Bon."

"Funny meeting you here." Bonnie said breathlessly. "I didn't see you in school to… oh my god, Jo, what's wrong?" When Bonnie spotted the face of her friend, she ultimately knew there was something major going down in the Parker family. Jo's eyes were filled with sorrow and pain and the bags under her eyes matched the ones she had spotted on Kai's face earlier.

Jo didn't answer right away, she only looked at her with sadness and exhaustion. Bonnie came closer and hugged her friend that seemed like she was on the wedge of crying. "Jo, tell me what's going on." Bonnie said softly.

Jo sniffed and when Bonnie let go of her, watching her firmly, she started to talk. "Have you seen Kai?"

"Yeah, I… I saw him this morning in school but only for a second, he disappeared before the first lesson. Why?"

"He was at school of all places?" Jo placed a hand over her forehead and looked upset.

"Jo, what's going on?" Bonnie pleaded. Jo returned her gaze back to Bonnie and saw her concern.

She sighed and her eyes filled with tears again. "It's mom… she- she-is dying."

Bonnie felt like someone just hit her head with a plank. She felt numb and she couldn't imagine what Jo and Kai must be feeling right now. "Oh, Jo." She hugged her again. "I am so sorry."

Jo hugged her back and when she let go of her, Bonnie saw the tear strands on her face before she wiped them away. "It all happened so fast. She wasn't doing so good but Friday night, Dad called an ambulance and she has been in the hospital since. Kai woke me up that night and we took care of the kids while dad went with her. In the morning we were supposed to go visit her but Kai never came along. I haven't seen him since and he is not answering his phone. I'm really worried about him. I know he's not good at dealing with this but I can't help him if I don't know where he is. But I can't go search for him because I need to take care of so much stuff right now and I need to be with my mom and…" Jo's voice broke once more and a sob escaped her.

"Don't worry about Kai. I will find him. I promise."

Jo looked at her with hope. "Would you do that?"

"Of course, Jo. If there is anything I can do to help right now, I will."

"Bonnie, I really don't want to ask this of you…"

"… you're not, I'm offering. I'll go look for Kai and you go back to your family." Bonnie interrupted her. Jo nodded and hugged her once more.

"Thank you, Bonnie."

Bonnie nodded and Jo started to move away but turned around once more. "Bonnie, you really have to find him. He has to say goodbye, otherwise… he will never forgive himself."

Bonnie smiled a reassuring smile. "I will."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She only tried calling him once and it went straight to voicemail. After that she tried to rethink his steps by starting at the school. She searched the roof, one of his favorite places in the school but even when she climbed all those steps she was sure that she wouldn't find him there.

Now she was standing on the top of her school looking down on the parking lot. There was no other car parked there but her own. It wasn't surprising. She never thought that he would stay at school when he was feeling lost.

So Bonnie went back to her car and drove around, stopping by every place she ever went with him, restaurants and cafés, parks and even the pool. She even tried one of these only tracking services but apparently his phone was turned off. She worried more and more the more places she didn't find him. Lost in her thoughts she drove to the only place she knew he would go. The situation was really hard. Bonnie didn't have any experience in dealing with death. All her close friends and family members were still alive. A distant cousin of hers died a few years back, but she only saw her twice and never had a relationship with her, so she did grief.

And none of her friends ever lost anyone close to them either, so she didn't know how to behave. What she did know was that she needed to be there for Kai now. He clearly struggled with all this, of course he did.

The anger she had felt during the day for his recent behavior was completely gone. At least she had an explanation now for his radio silence, even though it didn't come from him. But was she supposed to be mad at him for that? No, she wouldn't. It all made sense now, the way he acted this morning, him yelling at her for no reason and his unwillingness to speak at all when he usually wouldn't even shut up while he was sleeping.

Bonnie reached the spot where she parked her car the last time she was at this place. She was a little disappointed when she didn't see any other car parked there and almost didn't want to get out and see if he was still there. But maybe he didn't drive his car. She hadn't asked Jo about that, so there was still the possibility that he was. She hoped he would, because if he wasn't here, then Bonnie had no idea where else to look.

Stepping out of the car and making her way down to the shore of the lake, she looked around for any kind of sign of Kai. The sun was already setting, bathing the beautiful setting in an orange tone. It was way too beautiful for how she was feeling inside.

She got more nervous the closer she got his favorite spot and right before she reached the shore of the lake she inhaled deeply, afraid she might find the spot empty. When the shore came into view, she immediately spotted the figure sitting on the bench by the water. His back was facing her so he didn't notice her arrival. Bonnie stopped for a second, the relief she was feeling overwhelming her for a moment, before she resumed her step. He was wearing the same clothes as this morning in school, black hoodie and grey jeans. Kai was facing the water, watching the sunset. On any other day, he might have looked dreamy but Bonnie knew better.

Before she reached him she made herself audible by clearing her throat. Kai didn't look away from the spot he was facing and so Bonnie sat down a few inches from him, watching the calm surface of the water. They sat like this for long minutes until Bonnie turned her head to face him.

He might not have looked like it to anyone who didn't know him, but Bonnie knew him better than anyone, except for Jo maybe, and she saw the desperation, hurt and sorrow that came apparent on his face. She moved closer to him and carefully put her head onto his shoulder. She wanted to hug him but she didn't know if he would want that right now, so to show him some kind of reassurance she decided for the least body contact that would also represent the relationship they were having, even though she wasn't sure about that either right now.

After another few minutes of sitting like this, Bonnie turned her face so she could look up to him. He was looking at his hands now that were folded in his lap. Bonnie reached out her own hand and placed it over his, squeezing them reassuringly. When his head spun around to her, she put a small smile on her face and said "Hi."

He only looked at her, not answering. But he didn't draw back from her reaching out and that was a good sign.

"How did you know where I was?" Kai finally asked, his voice sounding hoarse like he hadn't talked in days.

"I didn't. I was hoping I would find you here."

"Why?"

"Because I ran into Jo and she told me what happened. I just wanted to make sure you're okay." Bonnie said while sitting back up, but leaving her hand over his.

"Well, I'm not. So you can go back now." Kai's voice sounded tired and thus his comment lacked it's usual spite. He didn't really mean what he said.

"I'm not gonna leave here alone, Kai. You're aware of that, right?" Bonnie said softly and her free hand reached out to slightly caress his cheek. "Come on, let's get you home."

Kai shook his head. "No, I'm not going home."

Bonnie sighed. "The hospital then. You need to be with your family right now."

Kai stood up and walked a little towards the shore. "I don't need to do anything."

This was his inner conflict, Bonnie knew. It was her challenge to convince him to go say goodbye to his mother now. "Kai-"

"No, don't even try, Bonnie. I know what I am doing and trust me when I'm telling you I don't want to be with my family right now, I mean it." Kai turned around to watch Bonnie. There was nothing angry on his face, he had no power to produce such a strong feeling when he was overwhelmed with grief.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to push you or something, but I feel like you aren't the best judge of your own feelings right now and I feel like you really should go be with the people that care about you, that are worried about y-"

Kai came back to sit next to her, not anger but desperation was written on his face. "My mother is dying, Bonnie! I doubt that you know how that feels like. I do, and when I say that I do not want to go be around the people who are currently feeling just the same as me, because I can't handle all their grief right now, I want you to understand that."

"I do. I do understand." Bonnie said softly and her hand reached out to cup his cheek and caress it. To her surprise, Kai leaned into her touch and closed his eyes. Bonnie turned on the bench so one of her legs were hanging down each side of the bench and moved closer to Kai, her left knee brushing against his thigh. She reached out her other hand and placed it onto the other side of his face. Then she pulled him down to her, letting their foreheads rest against each other and Kai sighed heavily.

After a while he whispered. "I'm scared, Bonnie."

"I know. I'm here. I'll do whatever I can to help you through this." Bonnie whispered back. That seemed to crack Kai up. His face trailed down the side of her own until he rested his forehead in the crook of her neck, in- and exhaling audibly. Bonnie wrapped her legs around Kai's hips and embraced him further with her arms. She caressed his back and steadied him while he seemed to have loosened all his body strengths.

"What should I do, Bon? Tell me what to do." Kai mumbled against her chest.

"I can't tell you what to do. I can only tell you what I think is best for you now." Bonnie said while resting her chin on his head.

"And what would that be?"

"I think you need to listen deep inside yourself and decided whether you should go be with your mom while you still can or stay with me and at least give Jo a call or something because she is freaking out about you. But I am 100% sure, you should not be alone right now. And I also think that you should say goodbye to your mother, someday you might regret it. And if you don't want to do it for yourself, maybe you should do it for her. I know, I can't possible imagine how you must be feeling right now, but I know that this is a tough situation. I just want to consider everything. Your mom's still alive. You should be with her while you can."

A long silence was spreading between them while Kai considered her words. Bonnie was waiting for some kind of reaction and was hoping that he was going to do the right thing. Then finally she felt his head move from away from her chest. "Okay." Kai said, nodding his head.

Bonnie smiled empathically and caressed his cheek. She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek before she got up from the bench, offering her hand to him. "Come on, let's go."

Kai looked up at her and the expression on his face nearly killed her. If she described it as a lost puppy look, it would still not cover it. Reluctantly he took her hand and Bonnie pulled him to his feet. Before they started walking she pulled him in for a real hug which he returned gratefully.

When they pulled away from each other Bonnie took Kai's hand in hers and started walking to her car, afraid that if she let go of him, he might change his mind.

 **Author's note: Like I promised another update. Not really a happy point of my story right now.  
A few thoughts on the latest TVD episode. I have to say I am super disappointed. First: No real satisfying Bonkai moment (I don't count her trapping him as a Bonkai moment because that SUCKED) and then they put him in yet another prison world? What the hell is wrong with them? He really doesn't deserve this (maybe he does but I can't think clearly when it comes to my Kai). If there were still season to come I'd say 'hurray' a way to get him back at some point, but with the series (finally) coming to an end, I'm angry that is what they went for. He should have stayed dead. I am thrown right back into the place I had been in right after the season 6 final. I am grieving my poor little sociopath. Plus, I have to say some things just don't add up. You want to tell me that two baby siphoners and psychic ex-witch are able to bent the rules on creating a prison world? The power that binds the prison world came from the leader, but there is no leader anymore. Also, how the hell did she get Kai INTO the prison world without using a celestial event? That makes no sense? He could also find a way out of there, due to his heretic abilities. This all doesn't make sense and I think it is a bit cruel to trap him in a room with only one horrible song playing. It is just my opinion and I had to tell someone about it. I am trying really hard to ignore the fact that they did this stuff. I'm going to turn back to fanfiction and my lovely Bonkai community. I hope we will stay strong even over these events and outlive our love for Kai in wonderful fictions. Thanks a lot for reading. See you next time, LiLaAir.**


	41. Chapter Forty-One: Lullabye

Chapter Forty-One: Lullabye

The building seemed bigger this time, scarier. More like a haunted house then a hospital. It was already pretty dark outside and the light shining through the windows onto the pavement didn't harbor any kind of warmth. At least not for him.

After Bonnie had convinced him to go see his mom, she had to practically drag him to her car. They had driven in silence, Kai being deeply lost in his thoughts. Nothing he could recall later on, but that was nothing new. In the past few days he couldn't focus his thoughts on anything, rushing from one topic to another within seconds and never recalling how he got there.

Now that they had arrived at the hospital, Kai's fear and inner discomfort reached a new high. Something inside of him was fighting hard not to go inside this building. For at least five minutes they had been sitting in Bonnie's car in silence, while he watched the huge monument that would be the place he would last see his mother.

He felt like he wasn't really here in the car, not even here at all. He felt light, like he had been smoking pot but the heaviness in his chest wouldn't let him fly but forcefully kept him right in this place. He wanted to run far away, hoping he could escape the horrors that were waiting for him inside.

Kai jumped when he felt a hand being placed on his left arm. He had forgotten that Bonnie was still sitting next to him. When he turned to watch her, she gifted him with a smile that expressed so much love and compassion, on any other day it would have made him reach out and kiss her. But not today, he appreciated what Bonnie had done for him but his grief was not leaving any room for any other feeling right now. But he wouldn't bet against Bonnie's ability to creep underneath his skin and forced some very specific emotions to come to the surface. If there was any person that would be able to comfort him now, it would be her.

"Are you sure I shouldn't go with you?" Bonnie asked tenderly.

"Yeah, I think I need to do this on my own."

Bonnie nodded in understanding. "Remember, you can always call me, whenever, for whatever reason, doesn't matter. I'll be here."

There it was again, the warmth that always spread in his stomach every time she said something like this. When she gave him the impression that she was the only honest and loyal person in his life.

Kai leaned over to her and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "I'm sorry I didn't text you back over the weekend."

Bonnie smiled weakly and brushed a hand through his hair, while he lingered his head close to hers. All he wanted to do right now was grab her and leave this godforsaken town. Take her somewhere no one could reach them and just outwait every bad thing that could possibly happen within the next few days.

"That's okay, really. I mean, I appreciate your apology but I decided to give you a free pass this time." Bonnie joked and actually managed to evoke something that- with a lot of effort- could be mistaken as a smile.

"Thank you for being here, Bon. I really mean it." Kai said a second later.

"Of course, where else would I be?" Bonnie whispered and placed her left hand on the side of his neck. Kai let his forehead rest against hers and closed his eyes. He just needed one moment of silence and safety before he could go inside the hospital. Gathering up all the strength he needed, he reluctantly let go of Bonnie and turned to leave the car. He stepped out and slammed the door shut behind him. Before he took his first step towards the building, he turned around once more, watching Bonnie who smiled reassuringly. He placed his hand on the car window and inhaled deeply. He turned around to face the huge, daunting house and made his way inside.

The second he stepped a foot into the lobby he felt nauseous and the urge to turn around and run for the hills was threatening to take over. It took all his willpower to continue his walk towards the information desk to ask for Evelyn Parker's room. Even though it was on the 6th floor, Kai decided to take the stairs to avoid the ultimate confrontation with his family. With every step he took his heartbeat rose a little bit. His wish to drag out the inevitable just a little longer didn't work, because he reached the 6th floor sooner than he could reorganize his thoughts. When he pushed through the door he was met with a heavy silence. This wing of the hospital was reserved for the dying and their grieving families. Death was nearly testable in the air and a sudden nausea overcame Kai. He wanted to turn around and run away instantly but something, and he had no idea what that was, kept him going until he reached another door. Behind the window he could see Joey and Bellamy sitting in front of a big window that allowed a view into the patient room behind it. Kai could guess who he would find behind that window. He also assumed his other siblings were close by, maybe Jo and Melinda were just with his mom or they were lingering around here somewhere. Neither of his siblings realized he was there. If he decided to turn around no one would know he had been there in the first place, except Bonnie.

Kai inhaled once more before he slowly pushed the door open and stepped into the private corridor that his father clearly arranged for his mother to breathe her last breaths in. Once his siblings heard the door opening, their heads turned in his direction. Now that he had stepped into the corridor he could see a sleeping Briana lying on the bench next to Jo sitting across from Bellamy and Joey. His siblings only stared at him, some with confusion, like Bellamy, some with anger, like Joey. Kai didn't say anything, only swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. He didn't think that his siblings had any right to be mad at him for staying away this long, after all it was his decision. But their judgment hit him stronger than he had expected, his current emotional state making it way to easy for everyone to affect him.

For what felt like forever the siblings just started at each other, every single one of them with the same exhausted and devastated eyes, until Jo slowly stood up from where she was sitting and walked towards him. Her eyes were filling with tears the closer she got to him. Kai met her halfway and the twins embraced each other in a tight hug. Kai closed his eyes when he heard Jo's sobbing and hugged her even tighter. Moments passed before the two broke apart, Jo's tears slowly starting to stop pouring. She tried to smile at him but the situation made it hard for her to figure it out properly. "You're here." Jo whispered, obvious relief in her voice.

Kai only nodded and noticed Joey snorting scornfully. Kai turned around to face his younger brother. If there was anything Joey wanted to share with him, he should just go ahead and say it. "Is something wrong?" Kai asked with just a tiniest bit of spite.

Joey stood up, stepping close to Kai and looking at him with anger that Kai had never seen on him before. Joey usually didn't voice his concerns or opinions, at least not to Kai, he was too afraid. It was not that Kai treated him any worse than his other siblings but Joey was the only one of them that understood early on that it was not wise to upset Kai, you would only end up on the wrong side of his anger and that was really unwise. Joey's obvious anger and his willingness to share that publicly surprised the others. They watched the brothers stare at each other. It seemed like Joey was debating whether to scream at him or punch him in the face. Kai was a little curious what it would be, that was why he just stood there, waiting for a reaction. But neither thing happened because to everyone's surprise Melinda stood up from her place and silently said "Don't be mad at each other."

Kai and Joey turned their head to Melinda, Jo turned around to face her younger sister. "Please, don't be mad." Melinda repeated. She was about to burst into tears. Jo wanted to reach out to her, taking a few steps towards her, but she shook her head and started to run towards her brothers. To everyone's surprise Melinda ended up in Kai's arms. The 12 year old had bumped into him with full speed and swung her arms around him. For a second Kai was irritated. He couldn't remember ever hugging Melinda. From the very first day the two siblings didn't get along, even when she was still a baby. But right now Melinda, the little brat, needed her eldest brother and if Kai was honest, this hug was just the thing he needed right now too, so he hugged her back. It lasted longer than anyone would have guessed and when Melinda finally stepped away from him the atmosphere between all siblings had shifted. When Kai looked at Joey he didn't see anger across his face, he saw relief. Melinda's unexpected show of affection towards Kai must have blown Joey's steam away because now he was embracing Kai as well for a quick hug.

"Finally, dude." Joey said and gave Kai one last pad on the back. Kai was now facing the window that allowed them to see into their mother's room. It was like someone punched Kai in the stomach when he saw his mother lying in the hospital bed, all pale and weak. Kai spotted his father sitting by her side and as if he had felt Kai's gaze he turned his head and locked his gaze to Kai's. Joshua slowly stood up and walked to the door. The atmosphere once again tensed up because neither of the Parker kids knew how their father would react to Kai's appearance but they could all guess that they weren't going to hug it out like the rest of them did.

When the door got opened and the Parker patriarch stepped outside nothing in his face gave away his emotions. In that way, Kai had come after his father. He too was a master at hiding his feelings, except for tonight. Joshua walked towards him and stopped only a few strays away. His disapproving gaze, the one he had watched Kai with for as long as he could remember, set on his eldest son but he kept quiet. Then he turned away from him and focused on Briana's sleeping form.

"I'm going to call Mrs. Leister to come pick up Briana. Someone should stay with your mother while I'm gone." Joshua's cold stare reached Kai again, making it perfectly clear that by someone he didn't mean him. His father was pissed that he didn't show up sooner, that was no news to Kai, but that he wanted to deny him to actually see his mother before she was dead even though he was here right now, that took the cake. Joshua went to pick up Briana and disappeared with his phone pressed to his ear, ready to call their neighbor that was already watching the twins.

When he was gone, Jo took Kai's hand into hers and was about to guide him into the room when Kai suddenly panicked and tried to free himself of her hold. "No." Kai said, shaking his head.

Jo turned around and stepped closer to her twin. "Kai." She took his other hand as well and squeezed both of them reassuringly. "Please." Then she started walking backwards and Kai let her guide him into the room. When they were inside, Jo let go of his one hand and closed the door with the other. Inside the room was nothing but quiet and the annoying beep from the medical devices, showing that there was still a heartbeat to be found within his mother. Kai didn't have to be a doctor to know that this was not a steady and strong heartbeat though.

"She sleeps almost the entire time, but sometimes she wakes up. But it doesn't matter, you can still talk to her, even when she's asleep." Jo said next to him. He nearly didn't hear her because the sight of his mother had him in a state of trance. All he could focus on was her sleeping form, the way she didn't seem to react in any way. He didn't even realize Jo had dragged him further into to room until he felt the chair she had ushered him to.

"Do you want to be alone with her?" Jo asked but Kai quickly shook his head, holding Jo's hand tight in his, so she didn't have the chance to leave him alone. Jo said down on the side of his mother's bed, not facing her but him. She smiled a weak smile before she started to talk. "I'm really glad you're here, Kai. I was so worried about you. That you would do something stupid. I was worried you wouldn't come."

"I nearly didn't. I'm only here because of Bonnie." Kai admitted and Jo sighed.

"Bless her soul." Jo said and smiled once more. "I know this is hard, trust me. But you would have never forgiven yourself if you didn't come here. You need to say goodbye to her."

"I can't. I don't know how." Kai whispered and looked down on the floor, feeling tears form in his eyes.

"Just listen to what you mom has to say." A hoarse voice reached Kai's ear and he looked up to his mother's face. Jo had turned around on the bed to face her mother as well. "Mom, you're up. How are you feeling? Can I get you anything? Is there anything you need?" Jo started rambling but her mother turned her down gently.

"No my love, all I need is right here." Evelyn reached out a weak hand and placed it on Jo's cheek, making her calm down. Then she turned her gaze to Kai and he could see how weak she already was. It wouldn't be long now.

"Listen, I have to tell you two something." Evelyn started her voice barely a whisper so Jo leaned in a little closer to hear her properly. Evelyn's lids were heavy but there was obviously something she still wanted to tell her children so she fought against the urge to fall back asleep.

"They day… you were born was the happiest day of my life." She started to talk, slowly and silent, but still clear as day. "I was overjoyed every time I finally got to meet my children but the first time is always special. I never forgot the feeling that I had when I first held you in my arms."

Kai could see Jo was on the verge of crying once more and he himself felt the heavy lump in his throat was not going away no matter how often he tried to swallow it.

"And now look at you two, my wonderful babies." Evelyn continued. "So grown up, such amazing personalities already even though you are still so young. I could not be more proud." He stopped because she had to cough and Kai and Jo both leaned closer to take care of her but Evelyn raised a hand to indicate that she was alright. "It's okay. I'm good." She tried to reassure them.

"Mom, maybe you should rest…" Jo tired but Evelyn shook her head.

"No, just listen. I need you to listen." She coughed again and remained silent so that Kai thought she was asleep again but then she continued without opening her eyes. "I am sorry for what I am going to put you through. All of you, but especially you two." She opened her eyes and there was real sorrow in them when she looked at her kids.

Kai and Jo exchanged a quick glance and when Evelyn realized that they didn't know what she meant she elaborated. "When I'm gone, your father is going to relay on you two most. You're the oldest and most mature of them all. I think you already knew that things were going to change and that you would have to accept more responsibility and for that I am sorry. I never wanted any of my children to live under such pressure. I never wanted any of you to grow up without me but it is not in my power to change that anymore. I need you to know that this is not what I wanted. I love you so much and if I could I would protect you from all this but… I can't."

Next to him Jo started to cry bitterly and Evelyn tried her best to try and calm her down but her weak state didn't make it easy for her. But Kai had tuned most of this out. He was feeling numb, something he'd normally appreciate because emotions weren't his thing, but not tonight. Tonight it was only confusing him and it distracted him from his task of saying goodbye to his mother, because he was now focusing on the reason for this rather than to listen to his mother.

"Hey love, are you okay?" Evelyn placed her hand on Kai's entwined ones and Kai started.

Kai only looked at her for a very long time, her eyes beside the heavy bags underneath them, seemed caring as ever. Kai tried to remember them as best as he could while he was gathering the courage to ask his mother what was bothering him since the minute he stepped foot inside this room.

"Mom?" He hesitated but continued when Jo squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Are you mad at me?"

"My dear, why would I be mad at you?" His mother asked back with incomprehension.

Kai sighed and looked down to the floor. "Because I wasn't here the past few days."

His mother stayed silent for a long time and Kai was certain she was actually mad at him. That realization hit Kai without warning and it felt like someone clenched their fist around his heart. He didn't dare to look at her, not when he had disappointed her in her last days on this earth. He was debating what to do next, how to make it up to her when he felt her hand being placed on his knee.

"You're here now, and that is all that matters. I could never be mad at you for grieving in your own personal way."

Kai looked up into Evelyn's face and saw nothing but honesty and love. His emotions were all over the place and he didn't know how to react properly. He swallowed and breathed heavily, tears were forming in his eyes and he had the urge to run a 100 miles marathon. But he stayed put. His mother watched him intently and smiled at him. It was the same smile she had given him when he was only 5 years old and fell on his knees, not really knowing whether he should cry or suck it up. That was when his mother would be there and look at him with this smile and he knew that he would be okay, that no matter if he cried or not, she would be there to help him through it.

And from now on she wouldn't. She would be out of reach, gone. Just like that. Devastation rose inside of him and with the intuition that only a mother has Evelyn opened her arms. "Come here, sweetie."

Without a second thought, Kai stood up from the chair, leaned over his mother's bed and sank into her open arms. He felt like he was 5 years old again and all that could save him from the bad world outside was his mother's tight embrace. Right now, her hug wasn't as tight as it used to be but it was still comforting. Kai buried his face into the crook of her neck while she patted his hair. For the first time since he had known of his mother's illness, Kai let tears run down in face. His mother silently hummed a song that seemed vaguely familiar; maybe she used to sing it to him as lullaby, and it calmed him down.

There was no way of telling how long he stayed in his mother's comforting embrace but it must have been a while because when he sat back up Jo was nowhere to be found. Kai didn't have to search for her, he knew Jo had disappeared silently to give him a moment with their mother. So now he sat down in her spot.

"Kai, can you promise me something?" Evelyn tiredly asked.

Kai shrugged. He didn't know if he was in any shape to make promised to his dying mother. Promises that he would have to keep up and that might one day come back and haunt him.

"When I'm gone," his mother continued. "I need you to stay strong against your father."

Kai was surprised to hear her say that and that surprise must have been visible because his mother elaborated further. "He is going to be hard on all of you, but especially you. He had always been harder on you then on any of the others and I have always urged him to reconsider what he thought was the best way of handling you, otherwise he might have been even more harsh on you. I know it might not seem that way to you but I did everything I could to protect you. I love your father, but I also know of his flaws and I am afraid that when I'm gone, he will act out his anger and sorrow on you. I won't be there to keep him from doing that, so I need you to be strong. I need you to promise me that, no matter what, you will always do what you think is right. Don't let your father influence you in any way. Tell him what you think, even if you are sure that he won't want to hear it. He needs to hear it. If you don't want to become his successor in the company… don't. You can be whatever you want to be, I made sure of that. Just have in mind that, even if he doesn't show it, your father cares deeply for you. I don't know why he chose to be so hard on you, he never told me, but after all he is your father. But that doesn't give him the right to control your every move. It's going to be a challenge but I need you to promise me that you will stay strong against him, always."

Kai looked at his mother for a long moment. They had never addressed the topic of his father's harshness towards him. Hearing his mother say these things right now, was confusing, but also encouraging. Kai wished she would have talked to him sooner. But what she said was right. His father did need to hear other opinions on several topics. Most of his siblings were too afraid to voice their true thoughts but Kai had always done it. He had nothing to lose with his father since he had always been the black sheep for him. So it wasn't too hard to promise his mother that he would continue to be the throne in his father's side.

"I promise." Kai said and Evelyn smiled. She raised her hand and cupped Kai's face.

"My beautiful boy. I love you so much."

"I love you too, mom." Kai said while he leaned into her touch.

Evelyn coughed once and then laughed a hollowly. "You know, I am really hoping that I am not going to be the only woman you ever tell that you love her. I was always hoping that one day you would bring home some cute girl from school and that you would be with her until your ways parted for college. A real first love, you know. And then you actually did bring this wonderful young lady home but only ever as a friend. Such a shame I have to say."

"Mom." Kai tried to interrupt her. He couldn't believe she was actually going THERE right now.

"What? I have nothing to lose, so I can be honest with you about this." Evelyn laughed silently and Kai smiled as well. He made a mental picture of this moment. "Bonnie is a wonderful girl and ever since I first saw you two together I was waiting for the day you would come home and tell me that you had taken it to the next level with her. There were a few times over the past year that I thought I might have been right, when you were practically inseparable over the summer, or before that, around spring time when you seemed more at ease then I have ever seen you. Oh, I know this is just wishful thinking but I always pictured you two as the perfect couple."

Kai's heart beat faster once his mother mentioned Bonnie's name. Ever since he was back from England, when she had run into his arms at the airport, it had been clear to him that something had changed, that his feelings for her had evolved. He had probably felt like that even longer but that moment had opened his eyes. Now that he had finally stopped fighting his feelings and started to accept that, maybe the change that Bonnie's and Kai's relationship would be undergoing if they actually took the next step wasn't a bad thing, but the complete opposite. Of course it was a risk, a risk for their friendship if it didn't play out the way they wanted it to, but so would ignoring the lingering feelings and tension between them. And now that his mother was practically encouraging him, even if she didn't know, to be brave and take what he wanted, he really considered doing it. If only the timing wasn't so off.

"Maybe it isn't wishful thinking after all." Kai confessed and his mother's eyes, that had been closed again, shut open once more. She watched her son with a mixture of curiosity, disbelieve and joy.

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"Nothing, it's just… I… something might have changed between Bonnie and I." Kai stuttered, not really knowing how to explain the situation to his mother, but she seemed to understand just fine because a warm smile was spreading on her face.

"There is a god after all." She joked and Kai laughed, knowing fully well that his mother did not believe in any kind of spiritual force in the universe.

He shook his head. "Mom, you're exaggerating."

"No way, I'm not. You just don't get it. When _your_ kid finally tells you that he realized he liked a special girl, something that the entire world already realized before him, you can judge me on my reaction but not right now, young man." She fake slanged him. He laughed before she continued. "No, seriously, I think this is great. Seems like you two still have a lot to figure out but I think it's worth it. But listen, you can't screw around with her. Bonnie is a really special girl."

Kai nodded. "I know."

The sound of the door opening behind him made Kai turn around. It was his father that stepped into the room. "Briana is with Mrs. Leister now and your mother called. She's headed here. I told her she should stay at the house a little longer and get some rest but she wouldn't listen to me, you know how she is." Joshua said in a soft tone, something Kai hadn't witnessed a lot until this point. Joshua stopped right by Kai's side and to Kai's utter surprise, he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Malachai, I think you should give your mother a little rest."

Evelyn smiled tiredly at him, barely awake now. Kai leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his mother's forehead. "Good night, mom."

"Good night, my darling." Evelyn's sleepy voice followed him when he left the room.

. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It was 3:17 am when she checked the time. The constant buzzing of her phone that indicated an incoming call had awoken her form a rather uneasy sleep. For a second she was irritated and rather annoyed from the disturbance but once she saw the caller's ID everything that happened yesterday came back to her. Quickly, she picked up the call.

"Kai?" she said worried. The other end stayed silent for a while and she already thought that he might have already hung up when she heard him sigh.

"Bon, I'm sorry… I…I didn't mean to call you." His voice was hoarse and something painfully sad lay in his undertone and Bonnie instantly knew what this call was about.

"Kai, where are you?" She was wide away now, trying to figure out how to be of help.

"I… I'm not sure." Kai's voice was about to break. He sounded so confused and lost that she nearly jumped out of her bed to go find him.

"Describe your surroundings, maybe I can figure out where you are." Bonnie was already out of her bed and headed to her closed to find something more decent to wear outside than her pajama shorts.

"There are houses and an old well. I can see a kindergarten or something like that, with handprints all over the walls."

Bonnie looked up. She knew where he was. It was right around the corner. "Okay, just keep walking in the direction of the kindergarten and wait there for me. Don't go anywhere until I'm there." She hung up and quickly slipped into yoga pants. She sneaked downstairs and put on her coat before she grabbed her keys and rushed to the kindergarten two streets from her own. She could see him sitting on a huge stone before the kindergarten, his head buried in his hands. Bonnie's heart broke a little when she saw him like that. All about his composure screamed sadness and devastation. When she was only a few meters away he felt her approaching and looked in her direction. He stood up from the stone he had been sitting on and turned to her, his shoulder slouched, eyes dead. Bonnie rushed the last few paces towards him and swung her arms around his neck, holding him close. She felt his arms closing tight around her lower back as he buried his head into the side of her neck.

"She's gone." He whispered in a broken voice. A wave of grief overwhelmed Bonnie. She couldn't imagine how he must feel right now all she knew was that right here and now, she needed to be there for him.

"I'm so sorry." Bonnie whispered back and pressed him even tighter to her body, brushing one hand over the back of his head. They stood like this for a long time, neither of them saying anything. Only when the wind freshened Bonnie loosened herself form Kai just so much that she could look into his face. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Bonnie took Kai's hand and led him back to her house. He followed her like a lost puppy, totally not realizing where they were going and probably not even caring. When they reached Bonnie's house there was still no sign of recognition on Kai's face. He was completely lost in his grief and Bonnie didn't blame him, she was just happy that he had called her and that she could make sure that he wouldn't spent the entire night out on the streets.

Bonnie opened the front door and ushered Kai back into her room, careful not to make a sound so her mother wouldn't wake up. Once he was in her room, she told him to sit on her bed and went downstairs again to get some water. When she returned he was still sitting on her bed, staring into the far. Bonnie offered him a glass of water but he didn't seem to want it so she placed it on her nightstand before she placed herself next to him.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to wake you up. I just didn't know who else to call…" Kai finally said.

"Don't apologize. There is no need. Is there anything you need? Is there anything I can do?" Bonnie asked, brushing her hand through his hair. He turned to look at her.

"Don't leave me." Kai plainly said, the pain and fear clearly audible in his voice. Bonnie reached out to him and pressed him to herself. "I won't. I'm here." she promised before she placed a peck on his cheek and hugged him tight.

For minutes they sat like this, before Bonnie drew away. "Come on, you need some sleep." She helped Kai out of his hoodie, pants and shoes so that he would be more comfortable. Then she dragged him along to lie down in her bed. He did whatever she suggested without second guessing it. He must have been unbelievably tired.

Bonnie lay down in the bed and Kai followed her example, lying down on his stomach and placing of head on Bonnie's chest, his arms wrapped around her. Bonnie could inspect his face this way and she brushed over his hair in hopes that this would soothe him into sleep. He indeed closed his eyes but after a while he opened them again.

For a long time he just lay like this, eyes open, facing her room, saying nothing. Bonnie kept comforting him in hopes that his emotions would finally give him the rest that he so desperately needed. But even an hour later, Kai was still wide awake and it had gotten harder and harder for Bonnie to stay awake with him. Her eyes drifted shut every now and then but she always managed to reopen them, until at some point she didn't and she fell asleep with the weight of a grieving Kai on her chest and in her heart.

 **Author's note: I have to say, I am really sorry for putting my sweet Kai through so much pain but it was part of the story and I couldn't back down. At this point in the story it is really hard for me to keep me going. I really need a lot of time to finish the chapters because the topic of grief is not an easy one for me and I don't want these chapters to suck. I have to handle this story according to the characters but that means that I have to take my time writing these chapters. I have to say we won't go back to happy, fluffy stuff for at least some more chapters and that's why my updates might come in a little belated. Please, don't be mad. And I hope that the theme of the chapter wasn't too horrible. I am so glad you are still around to read my fic. A special thank to the guest reviewer that was very actively commenting on the chapters the last few weeks. You seemed to have caught up with this story pretty fast. Thanks for all your reviews. So, I hope to see you next chapter, bye bye.**


	42. Chapter Forty-Two: Grief

Chapter Forty- Two: Grief

During the rest of the night, Bonnie woke up a few times only to find Kai wide away by her side. At some point he must have readjusted his position so he would lie next to her rather than on her. He was still close, his left hand entwined with Bonnie's, but now he was facing the ceiling and not her. It was around 7:00 am when she finally heard his even breathing and when she looked over, his eyes were shut. Bonnie turned on her side to watch him a little closer. Even in his sleep his pain was clearly visible. When he usually looked like an innocent kid while sleeping he now looked like an exhausted and wounded young man. Bonnie felt the urge to caress his cheek but she didn't want to risk him waking up. Kai already was a light sleeper usually and under these circumstances he might wake up from the slightest touch.

Still Bonnie crept a little closer, searching for the comfort of his closeness. Even though he was the one who lost someone, Bonnie felt a pinch in her heart as well. She had known Evelyn Parker and she had liked her very much. Her pain was probably nowhere close to the one Kai and his siblings must be feeling but still, having him close was comforting her on different levels. A few tears silently rolled down her cheeks before she fell back to sleep.

. . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next time she woke up was about 9:30. She heard the sound of the vacuum cleaner downstairs and was wide awake within seconds. She carefully slipped out of bed, so that she wouldn't wake Kai up and then rushed downstairs. There she found the socket her mother had plugged the vacuum cleaner in and pulled it out. The sound slowly subsided and Bonnie walked into the living room, where her mother was wondering what happened to her vacuum. When Abby realized Bonnie's presence and her mine darkened.

"Bonnie? _What_ the hell are you doing home? You're supposed to be in school right now. I hope you have a good explanation for this because the only one I will except is that you're sick but since you look perfectly fine I demand an answer!" The last four words came out as a yell and Bonnie rushed towards her mother and shushed her.

"Shhhh mom, be quiet. Kai is still sleeping."

Abby blinked in confusion. "Kai? Kai is here too? When did he get here?" Abby looked at her with suspicion.

"I picked him up in the middle of the night. I needed to make sure he was okay." Bonnie tried to explain. Her mother was still watching her with a look that told her Abby Bennett was reading something entire wrong into this situation so Bonnie sighed and added. "Kai's mom passed away last night."

The surprise and sympathy on Abby's face was visible within seconds when she took the news in. "Oh, good lord." Abby pressed a hand over her mouth, trying to regain control over the situation. Bonnie swallowed the lump in her throat and looked at her mother. Suddenly her mother was hugging her tight. Bonnie was glad for this hug and felt a huge amount of pressure falling off her shoulders. She started to cry, letting all the feelings out she had stored away last night to be strong for Kai. But within her mother's embrace it all came rushing to the surface.

Abby comforted her and Bonnie regained her composure. She stepped away from Abby a little, sniffing. She looked at her mother who was watching her with concern. "How is he doing?" she asked.

"Not good. He's overwhelmed by grief, understandably so. He seems lost. I have never seen him like this." Bonnie shook her head and sat down on the couch, her mother joined her shortly after. "He didn't fall asleep until 7:00 this morning, that's why I came down here. I just wanted him to have a few more hours of sleep." Bonnie explained further.

"Yeah, I get it." Abby padded Bonnie's back.

"Mom? What the hell am I going to do now?" Bonnie turned to watch her mother, hoping that she would have a good advice.

"Honey, there is no recipe or guidebook on how to behave in a situation like this. It all depends on how Kai will deal with all this. All you can do is be there for him, to talk to him, to listen to him or to just be there. It might seem like this is not enough, but trust me he will appreciate it."

It was not exactly what she had wanted to hear. She did hope for a to-do list that she could follow, but of course there wouldn't be one. Bonnie placed her head onto her mother's shoulder and stayed like this for a little while. But then she figured that there was no time to do nothing. Her priority had to be Kai, so she got upstairs, took a quick shower and silently went back into her room to get her phone. In all of last night's events she completely forgot to make sure someone knew where Kai was. If she guessed right, Kai didn't tell anyone where he would go and she could imagine Jo loosing it right now. She would just sneak into her room, get her phone and give her a quick call to tell her her brother was okay.

When she opened the door to her room and expected to find a still sleeping Kai in her bed, she was surprised when he was already sitting on the edge of the bed, fully clothed, his head lowered.

"Hey, you were supposed to be fast asleep." Bonnie went over to his sitting form and sat down beside him. "How are you doing?" She placed her right hand over his and squeezed it lightly. Her question sounded dumb to her ears but what else would she say?

Kai shrugged. "Been better." Was his sparse answer while he still looked down on the floor. His overall dejection, but mostly his lack of words, really answered her question. He was feeling awful and Bonnie couldn't do anything about it even though she wanted to. She crept a little closer to him and placed her head on his shoulder like she had done with her mom just minutes ago. The gesture was supposed to show closeness but also give him enough space if he didn't want anyone close right now. He didn't pull away from it so Bonnie entwined her fingers with his.

"Is there anything I can do?" Bonnie asked silently. Kai turned his head in her direction and Bonnie lifted hers from his shoulder. Their faces were only inches apart but neither of them spent a second on second guessing their closeness.

"You're here, that's already enough." Kai told her which kind of broke her heart a little more. The way he seemed to rely on her being close warmed her from the inside but also held a heavy pressure on her heart. She couldn't screw this up, not for his sake. Kai lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. Bonnie wished she could give him some kind of relief, that she could create a situation where he didn't have to feel all these horrible emotions but there was no way. The only thing she could do was give him her undivided attention and to shower him with kindness and affection, to show him he was not alone and that there was someone who cared for him.

When her phone suddenly started ringing they both startled. Bonnie reached for it and instantly picked it up. "Jo, is everything okay?"

By the mention of his sister's name, Kai looked up and watched Bonnie intensely.

"Bonnie, do you know where he is?" Jo's voice seemed tired and worried, restless.

Bonnie looked directly at Kai while she answered. "Yeah, he is right here with me."

Bonnie could hear Jo's relieved exhale through the phone. "Thank god. I was worried sick. His phone is turned off and no one had a clue where he went off to last night."

"Don't worry, he is safe." Bonnie had wanted to say 'He is okay' but that would have been a lie. "Listen Jo, I want you to know how sorry I am." Bonnie added hesitantly.

There was a long break and Bonnie was sure that Jo was fighting with tears until she finally answered. "Thank you. Can you tell Kai that I really need him to come home? Grandma is kind of freaking out over here and I just can't deal with this all by myself."

"Of course, Jo. And if there is anything else I can do…"

"I'll let you know. But I guess you have your hands full of dealing with my brother but I appreciate it."

"Still, you know you can always call if you need anything." Bonnie insisted.

"I do, thank you. I'll see you, Bon."

"Bye." Bonnie hung up the phone and watched Kai, by the way he was watching her he had heard Jo's request. He probably knew she was right, that he should go home and deal with his family but his expression told a completely different story. The same reason that had him run away in the middle of the night, without thinking and telling anyone and ending up on her doorstep was the reason that made him look almost anxious in the prospect of returning home.

"Hey." Bonnie reached out her hand to cup his cheek. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. I know that I need to go but Bonnie-" He turned his head and looked at her directly. "I'm scared. I can't go back there, not after what happened." His face was pale and his eyes jumped from her eyes to the floor and back.

"It's okay to be afraid. I know this must be hard but Jo is right, you should be with your family now." She paused for a second as he breathed heavily. "But I won't let you do this alone. I'll go with you and I will only leave you when you tell me that you can handle it on your own, okay? You don't have to do this alone."

Kai nodded reluctantly and Bonnie was relieved. She would have never made him go home if he didn't want to, but she also knew that running away from his family in a situation like this would neither help him nor them. "Come on, let's get you something to eat first." Bonnie pulled Kai onto his feet and gently dragged him towards the door.

"I'm not really hungry." Kai said. That alone was indication enough for how bed he was feeling. Kai Parker was always hungry, him denying food wasn't a good sign.

"Well, I guess my mom won't let you leave before you haven't at least eaten half the things she probably already made for you." Bonnie said and when they got to the kitchen, Bonnie's statement proved to be right.

Abby was standing in the kitchen, cooking various types of breakfast. When she realized Bonnie and Kai had come downstairs, she stepped away from the stove and hugged Kai, delivering her condolences. She was even nicer to him than she usually was, which was nearly impossible and she even earned a half hearted smile from Kai that in no way seemed to be honest. But Abby didn't mind and urged the two to sit down until she placed two large plates full of various meals in front of them, telling them to not leave until the plates were empty.

Kai poked around in his portion and tried to eat a few forkful of scramble eggs but he didn't lie when he said he wasn't hungry. When her mother didn't watch, Bonnie ate some of his food so that her mother would be content. When her plate was empty and his was nearly halfway done, Abby allowed them to get ready to leave for the Parker house but not before Abby pulled Kai in for a hug once more.

"Whatever you need, I don't want you to wait a second to ask for it, you got that? You can come whenever you like to and you can stay as long as you like to, okay? We're here for you, dear." Abby placed a peck on Kai's forehead.

"Thank you." Kai said emotionless. Then he turned around to Bonnie who was smiling at him encouragingly.

"You ready to go?" she asked him and when he nodded she took his hand in hers and guided him outside towards her car. They got inside and drove over to Kai's house. Kai didn't say anything on the way over, just looking outside the passenger window. When Bonnie parked the car in the Parker driveway, Kai was chewing on his bottom lip. Bonnie got out of the car first and opened the passenger door, reaching out her hand for him to take. After a few seconds of hesitation he took it and stepped out of the car. They walked over to the front door of the house and Kai opened the door with his key.

The second they stepped inside the house, a heavy silence descends over them. A second later Bonnie could hear someone running in the hallway above and then Jo appeared on the tread of the stairs, looking down at them. Bonnie could see tears forming in her eyes, even from the distance. Kai looked up at his sister and for a moment the two just watched each other before Jo came running down the stairs and Kai went to meet her at the landing. Jo waved her hands around his neck and buried her head into the crook of his neck. Kai pressed his twin into his chest and caressed Jo's back in order to calm her crying down.

"Thank god you're here." Jo got out between sobs and for a long time the siblings just stood like this. Bonnie didn't want to interfere so she waited for them to break apart before she went over to Jo and gave her a hug as well, telling her how sorry she was in person.

After the heartfelt greeting, Kai looked around. "Where is everybody?"

"Granny is upstairs. Briana and the twins are still at Mrs. Leister's and Bellamy went outside with Joey. They said they needed to get some fresh air. I don't know exactly what Melinda is up to but last time I checked she was with Granny. And dad-"

Like on cue the door to Bonnie's left got opened and an exhausted looking Joshua Parker stepped outside his office. Bonnie had never seen this door being opened before and she only caught a glimpse of the inside of the room lying behind it, but that was not the most peculiar thing. It was Mr. Parker's expression. Bonnie hadn't expected to see the same relief on his face as on Jo's but the anger that was clearly visible in his eyes did surprise her.

"Where-the hell-have you been?" was Mr. Parker's cold greeting.

Kai reluctantly turned around to face his father. His gaze was lowered to ground and he opened his mouth to give his father an answer when he got cut short.

"What were you thinking?" Joshua nearly yelled. "You can't just disappear like this without telling anyone. First, you stay away from the hospital and only show up last minute and then you sneak away the first chance you get. In the middle of the night?" Joshua's voice rose menacingly as he stepped closer to Kai, whose gaze was still stuck to the floor. "You grandmother was out of her mind out of worry for you. Your siblings had needed you to be around them, to give them comfort but no- dear Mr. Parker only had his egoistic needs in mind. We are a family, Malachai, and in a situation like this family sticks together and by that I mean every single member. I will not accept this kind of behavior ever again, ARE WE CLEAR?" Joshua's voice was so hard and loud that it made Kai wince. He briefly closed his eyes before he raised his gaze to his father's and answered. "Yes, Sir."

Joshua breathed heavily through his nose and watched his son with raging eyes. Kai kept his gaze locked to his, swallowing hard. When Joshua audibly inhaled Bonnie mentally prepared for another verbal attack from the Parker patriarch and was ready to intervene this time, but what actually happened next didn't only surprise her but also Jo, who inhaled – shocked - when she saw what Joshua did.

Joshua Parker reached out and dragged Kai by the shoulder, not to hurt him like Bonnie first expected, but to lock him in a tight embrace. Kai seemed to be awestruck by his father's sudden affectionate gesture, his arms were pressed to his sides and his eyes were widened, as were Jo's who was standing a few feet away from the two. It was an odd scene, seeing Joshua Parker hugging Kai. Normally, a father hugging his son seemed to be as normal as it could be but with the two of them it was only unrealistic.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." Joshua said silently, his voice almost caring.

"I won't." was Kai's stiff response and as quick as the hug had begun it was already over. Now Joshua Parker turned to Bonnie.

"Miss Bennett, I am thankful that you have taken care of Malachai."

"You're welcome, Mr. Parker." Bonnie said and added. "I am very sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." Joshua quickly replied and turned back to his children. "When your grandmother is up again can you tell her to come see me? It's important."

"Sure, dad." Jo answered and with that Joshua had disappeared back into his office.

Kai was facing the closed door of his father's office for a few more seconds. It seemed that he had no idea what had just happened. Bonnie and Jo exchanged worried gazes. Kai had once told her that he couldn't remember the last time his father had showed him any kind of affection, let alone hugged him. He had also claimed that he gave a crap about it, but given his reaction right now, it seemed to Bonnie that his father's whiff of love unsettled him more than he wanted to admit.

Bonnie was about to step closer to him and retrieve him into the here and now when he turned around on his own and faced the two girls standing in front of him. There was no trace of any kind of daze to be found on his face but Bonnie knew better. He had hid away his feelings, like he did so many times before. His go-to-strategy when something bothered him.

"Look who finally found his way home." The English-accented voice of a woman sounded from above their head and the three teenagers turned to find the source of it. Bonnie saw an elderly woman, dressed in a black ladies's suit, with a yellow shirt as an accent underneath the blazer. Her skirt ended just over the knee, exposing incredibly sportive shanks for her age. Her grey hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Her outer appearance reminded Bonnie of an old, noble English woman, strict and conservative but something about her face and the way she warmly smiled down on the three kids, made her like the old lady instantly. There was no need to ask who this woman was. Even if Bonnie didn't know Kai's grandmother was in town, there was no denying the family resemblance. Evelyn Parker had been the pure image of her mother, only years younger.

The old lady slowly stepped downstairs and went straight for her grandson.

"Hey granny." Kai greeted her, only clarifying her identity for Bonnie.

"Hello son." Kai's grandmother took his face in both her hand and gave her grandson an intense look over before she drew him in for a hug and a few kisses on the cheek. "You disappeared on me last night. That was not exactly decent behavior, young man." The tone of her voice was playful, which lessened the impact of her exhorting words. It was clear as day that she didn't mean to be hard and judging but that this was their way of interacting. Even from the few moments she had seen this woman, Bonnie was sure that she had had a very important impact in Kai's life. It seemed like he inherited his spunk and fire from her side of the family.

"I'm sorry." Kai admitted and actually did seem like he was speaking the truth.

"Oh boy, I'm not judging. We all have to deal with what happened in our own ways." The woman, who had seemed pretty composed for a woman who had just lost her only daughter, suddenly turned thoughtful. The pain of losing her child clearly visibly on her face. But a second later she had regained her strength, she clearly only upheld it for her grandchildren's sake, and looked back at Kai. "How are you doing?"

Kai shrugged and swallowed visibly. He shook his head, avoiding his grandmother's gaze. She only cupped his cheek with her right hand and smiled at him. "It's going to get better one day." She assured him, then she turned her head in Bonnie's direction. "Speaking of better, why don't you introduce me to your lovely friend over here? I guess, it is about time I officially meet the infamous Bonnie Bennett, don't you think?" She let go of Kai and stepped over to where Bonnie was standing a few steps away, a bright and honest smile covering her face. She reached out her hand and Bonnie took it.

"Hello dear, my name is Dawn Abbott. It is very nice to meet you, Bonnie. My grandchildren have told me a lot about you. I wish we could have met under happier circumstances though."

"It is really nice meeting you, too. I am very sorry for your loss, ma'am."

"Thank you my dear."

"Gran, dad wanted to see you, he said it was important." Jo informed her grandmother, who, invisible to her grandchildren's view, rolled her eyes.

"Of course he did." She turned to watch them. "Why don't you make your old grandmother a cup of tea, while I will see what your charming begetter wants from me now."

Bonnie was surprised by Dawn's obvious antipathy towards Joshua. She didn't even try to hide it in front of his kids, on the other hand, they had probably known about that for a long time, because neither Jo nor Kai even blinked because of her comment. She turned to the office door, winked at Bonnie and entered without knocking, closing the door behind her. Mrs. Abbott's temperament left Bonnie a little speechless. She might be one of the most impressive females she ever encountered.

Jo headed towards the kitchen and Kai followed her shortly after, Bonnie in tow. She had promised to stick around as long as he needed her to and since he hadn't told her otherwise-. Kai excused himself for a while to take a shower and so Bonnie stuck with Jo, making sure her other Parker friend was alright.

Jo was a lot more open about her feelings then Kai. She told her how much the death of her mother pained her and cried in Bonnie's arms until Mrs. Abbott joined them in the kitchen. She didn't say anything but just sat next to Jo, caressing her cheek to comfort her and it seemed like it worked. It was probably the magical powers only a mother had, or in this case a grandmother. Bonnie once more had to admire the woman who was standing so strong in the wake of the tragedy even though she had all the reasons to fall apart. But she didn't, because she knew someone had to be there for her grandchildren and she also knew that their father wasn't going to be the one.

Over the course of the next half hour a few of the other Parker kids joined them. Melinda came into the kitchen settling down on her grandmother's lap. It was the first time Bonnie had ever seen the 12-year old resemble her age appropriately. The neighbor Mrs. Leister brought Briana and the twins back home and when Briana saw Bonnie she rushed towards her like she usually did, but with one big difference, the smiling face that usually greeted her was gone and it was replaced with tears. Bonnie dandled her on her lap until Kai rejoined them. The second he had sat down, Briana had jumped from her lap onto his and was now about to fall asleep.

Bellamy and Joey only stuck their head in for a few moments before they headed to their rooms. Dawn decided to take Briana to her room as well and to look after the twins. Melinda who seemed to be stuck to her grandmother followed after her, which left only Bonnie, Jo and Kai in the kitchen.

On a normal day they would be laughing and doing crazy things, but right now all they did was sit in silence. When Jo's phone rang (it was Jessica checking in on her), she went upstairs leaving Kai and Bonnie alone.

Bonnie watched him for a while. It seemed like he was lost in his thoughts. His gaze was stuck somewhere far away and it hold such depression. Because she couldn't bear looking at him like that, Bonnie moved closer to him and placed her hand over his on the table. That startled him and he looked at her. Bonnie smiled and moved her thumb over the back of his hand. There was a hint of emotion crossing over his features but it soon faded again, the grief taking over once more.

"Hey Bon, why don't you go home and rest? You've dealt with me for far too long already, I can't keep you occupied like that any longer." Kai suggested in a tired voice.

"Are you sure? You know I'll stay if you want me to, I don't mind. I just want to make sure you'll be okay." Bonnie said in a caring tone.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I actually want to try and get some sleep and therefore you don't have to stay. I'm sure you got better things to do." Kai tried a smile but as soon as he realized he couldn't hold it up for longer than a second the corner of his lips lowered again.

"Actually, your wellbeing is pretty high on my priority list. I'll only leave if you're really sure that I can."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Really, I think you need a timeout from me, guess I will bug you more often in the next few days."

"Please do." Bonnie said while she ran a hand through his hair. "I'll feel better if I can check upon you personally."

"Be sure, I will." Kai reached out for her and pulled her close to his chest. Bonnie instantly returned the hug, while he buried his face in her hair. Bonnie didn't feel good leaving him alone but it was time for him to deal with his family on his own, Bonnie knew. She just wanted him to know that whatever he needed and whenever he needed it he could always come to her. She told him as much on their way to the front door.

"I know, Bon. And I am thankful for that."

Bonnie's hand was already on the handle when she turned around once more and faced him. "Give Jo a hug from me, okay?"

Kai nodded while he looked down on the floor. If someone didn't know the context of the scene playing out right now, one could mistake Kai as being shy, the way he avoided her gaze and kept bobbing back and forth. It almost seemed cute. But the real reason behind his restrained was a much much darker and sadder one. Bonnie took a step towards him, closing the distance between them, and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. Their faces were only inches away from each other when Bonnie ended the kiss. Kai looked into her eyes and the urge to give him a real kiss, like she had felt the moment she had found him by the lake yesterday, took over and she leaned in again, placing the softest of kisses onto his lips.

As soon that it had started it was already over. Bonnie stepped back a little and watched Kai, who didn't seem to be angry or unnerved from her little kiss just seconds ago. "Call me, text me. Anything." Bonnie urged once more when she turned around to the door.

"Promise." Kai said when Bonnie stepped onto the porch. He leaned onto the half opened door and watched her walk over to the stair.

"Goodbye, Kai."

"Bye, Bon."

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When Bonnie was gone, he walked up to his room. He was tired as fuck but when he told Bonnie earlier that he would try to get some sleep he had lied. He knew exactly that he had no chance of falling asleep right now but he had to say something, otherwise she would have never left him alone. She was an angle like that, only looking out for him, but Kai couldn't let her do that. She needed to take care of herself too.

After a few minutes alone in his room, Kai already regretted his decision to send Bonnie away. She gave him the feeling of safety back, which seemed to have gone lost yesterday. Her presence didn't make him feel good, that was not possible at the moment, but it made him feel less bad. Right now, the dead feeling inside him was winning over everything else and he could barely stand staying in this house.

Kai opened his door and went out in the hallway. He stopped in front of Jo's room and knocked twice, even though he didn't wait for her to allow him inside. He never did, she never cared.

Jo was lying in bed, eyes focused on the wall on the other side of her room. When she realized Kai's presence she stretched her head and then moved closer to the edge of the bed, giving him more room to join her. Kai threw back the blanket and cuddled into Jo's pillow. He turned to his side, facing Jo.

The twins looked at each other, neither saying anything. It was like old times, like when Jo would be afraid of the thunder and would sneak into Kai's room or when Kai had a bad encounter with his dad and Jo tried to comfort him when they were younger. Then Jo crept closer and hugged Kai. It was funny how he let everyone hug him nowadays. Guess the numbness inside made it more bearable for him. Maybe he even needed all that hugging because he always caught himself hugging back. Emotions were weird, Kai would probably never understand them fully.

Jo let go of him then and looked him in the eyes. She looked just as crappy as he felt. Her eye's held every trace of pain there was and the tears that Kai just couldn't manage to let out were now forming in Jo's eyes.

"Is Bonnie gone?" Jo asked with a shaky voice.

Kai nodded. "I sent her home. Poor thing is probably more exhausted then I am."

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Very little."

"Then try to at least take a nap." Jo suggested but Kai shook his head.

"I can't. I can't rest my thoughts. This house isn't helping either. It's like a constant pressure on my chest and there is nothing I can do to lift it."

"I know. It's hard. I can't sleep alone either." Jo sighed.

"Well, you're not alone." Kai said and once more a few tears rolled down Jo's cheek. Kai pulled her in for another hug and felt her relax. Within minutes Jo had fallen asleep. Her even breathing calmed Kai down a little. The presence of his twin was helping too. She didn't have the same effect as Bonnie did earlier, which was weird, but having the one person that had always been with him, his entire existence, be next to him, had something soothing. Kai closed his eyes, only to see flashes of his mother, and he quickly reopened them. He couldn't deal with this right now. So he kept staring at the wall behind Jo, keeping her safe in his arms, and hoping that somehow his mind would give in to his body's exhaustion and he would find a few minutes of rest.

 **Autor's note: Okay, I know the tone of this chapter is kind of heavy and I have to be honest with you it will take a while until it will get lighter again, since I will explore this whole grieving thing. One can't just get over the death of one's mother like this and that's why I will focus on Kai's journey for a while and how Bonnie will fit into all this. Hope you won't be too mad at me for leaving out the fluff and happiness but rest assured, we will get back to that eventually. Thanks for the amazing reviews for the last chapter, they really motivated me to get this one done faster than I thought was possible.**


	43. Chapter Forty- Three: Do you?

Chapter Forty- Three: Do you?

After she had left the Parker house, Bonnie sat in her car for long minutes, just staring outside. She needed to breathe for a moment, trying to cope with everything that happened the past 24 hours. Shortly after, she decided to go to school for the last couple of hours. She didn't feel the need to actually be present today, but she needed something to occupy herself. Sitting alone in her room, worrying about her friends was no option.

The rest of the day went by very slowly. In school she avoided the interrogating questions from her friends about her belated arrival and basically stayed silent for the rest of the day. At home, she texted Kai to see how he was doing and if he got any sleep. The fact that he texted back within seconds made her realize that he for sure wasn't sleeping, not even trying. She urged him to get some rest and he assured her that he would try.

After that Bonnie went downstairs to cook dinner. Her mom was still working but she'd be home and it would be a nice surprise if dinner was already done. Bonnie looked around the kitchen to find something easy to make, because her talents were limited. While she cooked some hot water for the pasta she was about to make, her mom came in. She ran over to her like a 5 year old and hugged her tight. With everything going on lately, she was just so thankful that her mother was around. Abby quickly took over the cooking, even though she was thankful for Bonnie's gesture, she wanted to ensure that what she was serving would actually be eatable.

Jeffrey joined them half an hour later. It seemed like Abby had told him what was going on because he hugged Bonnie tight. Bonnie was glad that he was around and the three spend a nice evening together. After the dinner, Bonnie cuddled in next to her mother on the couch for a while before she decided it was time for her to go to bed. Last night's events finally took a toll on her. And so she went upstairs and went to bed, not without texting Kai again. He didn't reply within the next 5 minutes and Bonnie was actually relieved. That must mean he had finally found some rest and so it gave her permission to rest herself.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next time she saw Kai, she realized how wrong she had been. It was the next day in the evening, right after Bonnie had reheated the pasta from the day prior when the doorbell rang. She went to open it, thinking it might be the mail or something, but she found an even worse looking Kai in front of her.

"Hey." was his only word before Bonnie pulled him inside and hugged him.

"My god, Kai." Bonnie whispered into his ear. She let go of him and watched him closely. He could barely keep his eyes open. They were swollen from what Bonnie assumed was lack of sleep, and his pale face looked even paler than the day before. His overall composure resembled the one of a whipped dog. "What's happening? I thought you slept yesterday."

"I couldn't. Whenever I fell asleep for longer than 5 minutes, I had a nightmare and woke up. I couldn't take being in this house any longer so I drove here." He was looking to the floor while he spoke. When he looked up into Bonnie's worried eyes he added. "Can I stay here for a few hours?"

"You can stay here all night, all week. You know that you can always come here." Bonnie reassured him and smiled. He tried to smile back, but the heaviness of his lids made it impossible for it to seem authentic.

"Did you eat anything?" Bonnie asked while she took his hand and guided him into the kitchen. Kai nodded hesitantly, which was obviously a lie. She made him sit by the counter and prepared a plate of pasta for him, that was still hot, handing it over to him. She placed her own plate and herself next to him and looked at him. "Don't worry, my mom made most of it, so it is actually eatable."

Kai stared at the food and swallowed. Then he looked at Bonnie with a look that seemed almost pleading, like a kid trying to convince his parent not go see the creepy, smelly old cat lady from down the road. "I'm really not hungry, Bonnie."

"I know, but you still need to eat. Come on, I'm not going to make you eat all of it, just try a little bit, okay?" She said in a voice she usually used around children, because right now he seemed as vulnerable as one. Kai nodded and took the fork into his hand. Bonnie watched him eat a forkful and then tended to her own food, always half watching Kai.

After the second fork, which he took forever to swallow, he placed the fork onto the counter and turned to Bonnie. He didn't need to say anything. Bonnie reached out her hand and stroked his cheek and nodded in understanding. She didn't expect him to eat very much and she was happy that he at least tried. But she made a mental note to herself to make sure that he was getting more inside his stomach over the next few days.

When Bonnie had finished her plate as quickly as possible, she took Kai upstairs to her room. There was no question that the boy needed to rest, so she urged him to sit down on her bed. First he struggled, saying that he needed to get back home in a few hours and Bonnie promised him to inform Jo that he was staying over at her place. After that he didn't have a lot of arguments against Bonnie's attempt to get him to lie down.

When he was finally complying, Bonnie wrapped the blanked around his body and watched him. She stroked through his hair while she sat next to him on the side of her bed and watched him fall asleep. It took only a few moments before she heard his even breathing that indicated he had finally come to rest. Slowly and carefully she got up and went over to her desk. She still needed to do some stuff for school and now was as good a time as ever to tend to that. With Kai sleeping right within her reach, she had nothing better to do anyways.

Bonnie opened her geography book and read a few pages. After half an hour of reading she was startled by Kai abruptly waking up. He gasped and sat straight up in bed, he looked terrified and Bonnie hurried to his side.

"Hey, hey. It's alright, it was just a dream. You're here with me. It's okay." Bonnie grabbed the side of his face when he didn't seem to hear her. Finally his eyes found hers and his breathing got evener.

"Bonnie?" he said like he had no idea where he was.

"Yes, I'm here."

Kai sighed heavily and let his head fall on her shoulder. Bonnie caressed his back to comfort him. "It's okay. It was only a dream." She repeated. "Try to get back to sleep."

"I can't." Kai said. "Whenever I close my eyes the nightmares come back. I can't get any rest." Kai mumbled. He raised his head so he was looking back at her. Bonnie had no idea what she was supposed to do now. She knew her mother kept some sleeping pills in the top drawer in the bathroom, but she wasn't going to give them to Kai. She could do more harm than good with that. So she did the only thing she could think of. When she was a child she used to have a lot of nightmares, especially when she first got to Portland. She would sneak into her mother's bed and cuddle very close to her. It would take her a while to fall asleep but her mother's presence next to her comforted her enough so that she would fall asleep and stay asleep.

So Bonnie climbed over Kai's sitting form, slipped under the blanket and lay down, reaching out her hands and opening her arms, to indicate Kai to lie back with her. He watched her for a moment before he obeyed her silent request and lay down next to her. He was quick to wrap his arms around her and placed his head onto her chest. Bonnie closed her opened arms around him and gently drove a hand through his hair.

Kai seemed to relax more and more the longer they lay like this and soon Bonnie witnessed his eyes falling shut again. Her heart was starting to beat faster when she looked down on him. The way he cuddled into her and used her closeness as a safe haven sent a wave of butterflies through her body. But Bonnie needed to get a grip. This was not the time to be reveling in her undeniable feelings for him. She needed to be there for him right now, no time to think about her own needs. It was hard, but this had priority. One day, when he was feeling better, they would finally have the talk and the way he trusted her and depended on her right now gave her a good feeling that after said talk, she would finally get her happy ending.

She stayed up a while longer, caressing Kai and making sure he didn't wake up but at some point the warmth and comfort that Kai's resting figure beamed onto her, made her sleepy. There was no point at fighting this feeling of tiredness and so she slipped away into a dreamless sleep.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kai had slept until her alarm had awoken both of them, which was like a miracle. He looked way better as well, even though the dead look in his eyes was showing Bonnie that that was only an illusion.

Bonnie got ready for school and Kai went back home. She couldn't believe he had actually driven to her place the night before. It had been such a risk, since he wasn't really able to walk straight any more from his tiredness. But now that he had slept the entire night, without waking up from nightmares, she didn't worry about him as much.

In school she tried to concentrate. It was hard since her mind always went back to the Parker's. They all had stayed at home. Understandably so, they needed to get better before any of them should return to school. Before the first period Jessica and Olive came looking for her. Of course Jo's best friends would already know what happened and to Bonnie's surprise they hugged her tight. They seemed heartbroken and overwhelmed from the news of Evelyn Parker's death. Of course they were, they knew Evelyn way longer and better than she did, had probably grown up in Jo's house and considered her their second mother. The three girls talked briefly about what they could do to help the Parker kids and agreed on checking in on them but not forcing themselves on to them. Quickly, Olive and Jessica went to their class and left Bonnie to herself.

The time passed slowly until the lunch break. Bonnie wasn't too keen to be around hundreds of happy students now but she was also hungry and wanted to see her friends.

When she sat down in the cafeteria everybody was already involved in a heated conversation. Bonnie didn't mind trying to follow it, she was just happy to be around people she cared about and to have a slightly different atmosphere around her then the past few days. Digging into her food, she relaxed and tuned the conversation down until suddenly everyone around her stopped talking. Bonnie looked up to see everyone watching her.

"What?" she asked.

"What do you think?" Liza asked her and Bonnie slid from one side of her seat to the other, feeling uncomfortable for not knowing what the topic was.

"Umm, you have to fill me in on what you just talked about. My mind was somewhere else." Bonnie admitted and Faye rolled her eyes playfully.

"L.A. or Mexico?" Perry explained and when Bonnie still looked confused her continued. "Well, we were talking about our trip at the end of the school year, of course. Faye and I seem to recall that we all agreed to go to Mexico and Connor and Liza over here want to go to L.A. Now we need your vote."

Right, the trip the group of friends had agreed to make after their last school year. It had been Faye's idea of course. A few years ago, under the influence of some alcohol, Faye had proposed her idea of them getting away for the summer after they graduated and everyone had been excited. Over the turn of their High School Career they had organized it bit by bit. Now that it was supposed to be happening in the next summer, Faye seemed to work on overload to get everything prepared within the next few weeks. Bonnie had totally forgotten about that.

"Oh, okay?! I, um, I guess I'm good with both." Bonnie said, hoping to get away from this conversation. She had no energy to think about this right now.

"No, no, no, no. You have to decide. We are five people and right now the vote is a tie so your vote will decide. Which one is it going to be, Bonnie?" Faye looked at her intensely and Bonnie sighed.

"Seriously, do you really need my answer right now? 'Cause I have a hard time making up my mind right now."

"The sooner the better, Bonnie. There is still so much to organize. I want to start looking for cheap plane tickets, then we have to coordinate the dates, we need to find the housing and so on and so on." Faye went on.

"Yeah, I get it. But does it really matter if I give you my vote today or in let's say a week or two? What difference would it make? I really have other stuff on my mind right now." Bonnie said, not able to keep the emotions and tension out of her voice. Faye's eyes turned from overactive organizer to concerned friend when she realized Bonnie was feeling bad. She opened her mouth to say something but could never say it because Connor already cut in.

"Oh, come on Bonnie, it's not that hard. Just choose A or B and Faye will be relieved. Or is your mind too occupied by your new bff Kai that you can't think clearly when he is not around? Do you need his approval for your decision? I have noticed you being off the entire week and hey, what a coincidence Kai has been MIA the entire time as well, so what's going on? Trouble in paradise? Did you make a bad comment about his hair and now he hates your guts again? Get over it, Bonnie. You're being ridicules."

"Connor!" Faye snapped at him.

"What? We're all thinking the same, aren't we? Bonnie's been a little too focused on Mr. Badboy the past few weeks and it gets on all our nerves. I'm the only one brave enough to mention it. I mean, he isn't even reliable at all." Connor spat back.

Bonnie felt the eyes of her friends rest on her and Connor in turns. Everyone was quiet and awaiting her reaction. She could only stare at him for his stupid comments. It had been obvious that Connor didn't like Kai and Bonnie never really knew why. She had put it all down to jealousy, but the past few weeks she and Connor had done better. After their horrible date the two had estranged a bit but recently Bonnie had the impression that Connor no longer held a grudge against her and that his feelings had been resolved. Obviously that wasn't true.

Bonnie kept breathing normally, forcing herself not to yell at her friend. He had no idea what went on with the Parkers, she wasn't going to hold this against him. "If I were you, I'd be very careful about what you say next. You have no idea what is going on right now and –" Bonnie started but Connor interrupted her.

"Yeah, I really couldn't give less of a damn. All I see is my friend behaving like a total fool over someone who doesn't even care. He is a pain in the ass for everyone here and I think it's safe to say that we wouldn't all be too sad if you two went back to radio silence. We only accept him because you seem to be a blind fool when it comes to him and you keep shoving him down our throats. You have to realize that he can't be the centre of your life, Bonnie. I mean, where has he been this entire week? He's probably too preoccupied planning his next bender or another way to make everyone's life in this school even harder. Pathetic, really."

Bonnie stood up very slowly and watched Connor. She was furious with him for what he said but she still spoke in a calm voice when she finally reacted. "You should really be happy that he didn't hear you. First of all, who are you to judge my friendship with Kai? You will never understand the connection we have and frankly I don't give a fuck if you do. If you don't like him, fine. But keep your useless comments to yourself, because you are not helping anyone. Second of all, you have not the slightest clue what's happening right now. Kai – and if you haven't noticed Jo and Joey as well- have been MIA from school because their mother just passed away. I don't know about you, but I think that gives him a pretty good reason to not attend school. You should be embarrassed right now. Judging someone because of impressions and prejudices, when you actually know nothing about that person, _now that_ is pathetic."

Bonnie turned around and walked out of the cafeteria, without given Connor's shocked face a second look. She had reached the hallway, which was still empty because everyone was still eating, and was just debating whether she should leave now, when she heard footsteps coming her way. The person was clearly a woman because Bonnie could hear her clatter of her shoes on the ground. The girl's pace raised and then she heart Faye's voice call her name.

She didn't stop but Faye still reached up to her in no time, grabbing her arm lightly and stopping her from going any further. Bonnie turned around to watch her redheaded friend that was just trying to catch her breath.

"Is it true? Did Kai's and Jo's mom die?" Faye asked sadly.

Bonnie only nodded and Faye closed her eyes for a moment. "Oh god." After that Faye hugged her tight and Bonnie hugged her back, not realizing until this moment that she had needed this hug desperately. "I'm so sorry." Faye mumbled into Bonnie's hair.

When Faye let go of her, Bonnie could see the empathy written in her eyes. "Did you know her well?" Faye wanted to know.

"Not as well as I wished. She was sick for quite some time now. But she was such a lovely person, a great mother. She didn't deserve it, none of them did."

"Is there anything I can do? I feel like I should do something. At least deliver my condolences or something. But I don't know if that is appropriate or not."

"Sure it is. You're friends with them, too. I'm sure they would appreciate it." Bonnie said honestly.

"But how do I do that? I can't just call and say 'hey, heart what happened to your mom, I'm really sorry.'"

"They are not really talkative these days anyway. Why don't you just text them." Bonnie suggested.

"Isn't that like… impersonal?" Faye wondered and Bonnie reassured her that this was the best way at the moment and that she could try telling them in person at a later point. Faye hugged her once more, telling her that she was there if she needed anything and the girls spent the rest of their lunch break sitting outside in the September sun, talking. Bonnie was really glad Faye was here and knew everything now. She felt better now that she had someone to confide in, someone that looked after her a little bit in school.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Faye's text arrived when Bonnie was just visiting the twins after school. Like she had predicted they were grateful for Faye's condolences, even though Jo seemed a little more grateful. Somehow the oldest Parker kid seemed a little more stable already, even though it had only been days since her mother's death. Jo was a very strong person. Where Kai got the wittiness and the snark from his grandmother, Jo had inherited her spirit and strengths. When Bonnie left, Jo was about to force Kai to eat something.

The next day, Bonnie checked her phone every few minutes. Even in school, which she normally didn't, which lead to one of her teachers taking it away from her for the rest of the period. It was the first time something like that had happened to her, but she just had to make sure that Kai and Jo were alright. She had told them yesterday that they should text her whenever they had the need to, because today their father had arranged a meeting with a funeral parlor. It was just a first meeting, discussing basics like coffin and flower arrangements. Later, they would have another meeting about the content of the funeral itself. Mr. Parker had insisted that the four oldest kids should join him. It must be hard though, making all these weird decisions for your dead mother. So, Bonnie checked in on them on a regular basis.

During her chat with Kai Bonnie found out that he didn't sleep well last night. Maybe not even at all. So Bonnie invited him to stay with her the night, like the day before. First, it seemed like Kai was reluctant but his tiredness probably won when he agreed to be at her place around 7 p.m.

When he got there, Bonnie noticed the bags under his eyes and the dead eyes looking at her. At least she didn't have to push so hard to get him to eat something. Abby was about to offer to cook whatever he wanted, or at least it seemed that way, when he entered the kitchen, already remembering his reluctance to eat the past few days, but Bonnie had already gotten him to agree to at least eat a little bit.

After that, Bonnie and Kai went upstairs. Bonnie offered him to go straight to bed but Kai didn't want to sleep right away, so they started watching an episode of Sherlock instead. A few minutes into the episode, Bonnie creped a little closer to Kai, only to feel him grab her waist and pull her even closer. Her head was now resting on his shoulder, his arms caging her in. It didn't take more than half an hour and Kai was fast asleep beneath her. Bonnie followed him into the land of dreams shortly after.

For the next few days this was their routine. Kai would come over, they would eat and watch some TV before falling asleep in each other's arms. It seemed like he could only find some rest when she was close by. He only woke up from nightmares a few times, and those times she could comfort him and he would quickly go back to sleep. It was like they were an old couple, the way their course of the day was organized.

After a few nights, Bonnie spent some nights at Kai's place. She insisted on that, because she wanted him to have a better feeling when he was being at home. It was important if he ever wanted to sleep at home without troubles again. Before that, Kai had been very quiet. Not the usual word-vomit she had gotten used to. It was a completely different side of Kai and Bonnie was totally fine with it. But still she wondered if she should motivate him more to talk about what happened. She knew he wasn't one to talk about his feelings per se but she thought that talking about his loss might help him get better. He didn't seem desperate and sad anymore but that unnerved Bonnie because instead of those feelings, there he mostly showed apathy. Combined with his silence, Bonnie really started to worry about him. The only thing that comforted her was the fact that he seemed to want to have a lot of body contact.

Like the third night, she had spent over at Kai's house. It was little more than a week after Evelyn had passed away. It was a Sunday night and Jo had just told them that she wanted to go back to school on Monday. When Jo looked at Kai she didn't even have to ask if he was joining her, Kai was not ready to go back there just yet. Somehow that talk had ruffled Kai and when Jo had left his room, Kai went over to Bonnie, who was laying on his bed and nuzzled his head in the crook of her neck.  
Bonnie wrapped her arms around him, like she had done numerous times before, and let her hand slight up and down his back. It seemed like that calmed him down.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked after a few more minutes.

"Hmmm mmmh." Kai hummed against her skin.

"Right, so why do I get the feeling that that is not quite the truth?"

Kai sighed. "Because I can't hide anything from you?" He raised his head and hovered over her face now, looking down on the blanket.

"Then tell me what's bothering you."

"It's just-. Everyone seems to move on and she didn't even have a funeral yet. Dad's back at work, Jo wants to go back to school and that means dad is going to expect me to go back as well, but I am not ready for that." He avoided her gaze and so she reached out a hand to turn his head so he had to look at her.

"Then don't go yet. As long as you don't feel ready for school you shouldn't be going. And don't worry about your dad. Even if he would try to force you to go back, I am pretty sure your grandmother would have your back."

Over the past few days she had gotten to know the old lady better. She was just an incredible woman, strong-willed, intelligent, caring, sharp-tongued and- under normal circumstances- probably one of the happiest and open-minded people Bonnie knew. And most of all she seemed to hate Joshua Parker just as much as Kai did, maybe even more. She was always on Kai's side of things, backing him up. It was clear that Dawn Abbott loved all her grandchildren but she seemed to have a soft spot for Kai. The two were a very good team and were most definitely co-runners of the Anti-Joshua-Club. Maybe one day they could send her mother an invite too.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. You've kind of been right a lot of times the past weeks." Kai admitted.

"Oh, what was that? I think I didn't hear you clearly. Did you just admit I am right, like a lot of times?" Bonnie teased him.

"Oh, shut up." Kai smiled his first honest smile since his mother's death and it warmed her heart. It wasn't a bright smile and it was gone as soon as it appeared but it was a first step of getting him back into shape. When he looked at her again, her smile was still very much visible on her face. The intensity of his gaze was confusing her though. He looked like he had something serious to tell her. She cooked her head in question and he inhaled.

"But really Bon, you have been such a help in the past weeks. I don't know what I would have done without you. So, thank you."

"Don't. I don't want to hear you thanking me. What I am doing is nothing. I'm just being a friend, that's all. It is needless to say."

"Well, not for me." He said it like it meant nothing but it did. It showed her so much. That he hadn't experienced it before that someone would look out for him and that he was indeed very grateful for her. She wanted to hug him but it felt like that reaction might be a little too much, so she just smiled at him and caressed his cheek.

When their eyes locked, an intense shiver went down her spine. The sort she hadn't felt in a few days, because of all the horrible things that happened and the fact that Kai was usually evoking them with his passionate stares. He hadn't been in a state to do so in the past few days but right now he was looking at her with a power and intensity she hadn't witnessed in a while. She just kept looking at him, because his eyes were just so beautiful.

The next moment Kai surprised her by suddenly leaning down and kissing her. It wasn't just a peck, like the last time Bonnie had kissed him, it was more. It was deeper, longer and contained a trace of desperation on both their ends. Bonnie's hands instantly found the side of his face. After the first second of shock, Bonnie had started returning the kiss. For a few moments they lay there, kissing, before Kai pulled away just as quickly as he had started this. His eyes searched her face- for what reaction Bonnie wasn't sure, but hers must have been the wrong one, because he drew away from her further, his expression a little haunted.

"I'm sorry." Kai quickly said.

"About what?" Bonnie asked confused. She wanted to reach out for him but he had sat up again, getting out of her reach. Bonnie was puzzled by his sudden change in behavior and needed clarification. So she sat up next to him, turning so she could face him directly. He was sitting cross-legged on the side of his bed and stabilized his head with his right arm. It seemed like he didn't even notice her sitting next to him, so Bonnie gently pulled on the arm holding his head to force him to look at her. The expression on his face was making her feel uneasy. She couldn't identify it completely but somehow something in her head told her it was regret. She expected him to tell her that he shouldn't have kissed her because he didn't want to give her any false hope of them ever getting together, that his mother's death had changed everything for him and they just weren't a good match. So, when he opened his mouth to give her an answer to her question, she was preparing for the worst.

"I'm sorry for just kissing you- that was not right. I should have asked you or something. This thing between us, it's just-. I mean, we never really talked about it and I can't expect you to be okay with me kissing you like that. After all that happened, we just have to figure this out again. It was just all so confusing in the past few weeks and-"

"Stop." Bonnie interrupted his speech. Relief was spreading inside her, because it was clear that he didn't want to back down from what they were having. He was just confused by everything that happened and Bonnie got that. It was actually cute how he didn't want to overstep. "There is no need to apologize. I get that you have to sort things out first. I agree that we need to talk at some point but right now, it is more important that you get better. And when you do feel better, we're going to have that talk. It's better if we don't rush into anything right now. I don't want you to feel bad about any decision you make right now. There is no rush, we have all the time. I can wait."

"But I don't want to wait." Kai turned his head to look at her. Bonnie had to blink several times because his statement had caught her off guard. When she didn't say anything Kai elaborated further. "Look, Bonnie. I know you might not believe me, but I already made up my mind about us the day before you went to Mystic Falls. I know that it took me a while, but I know now that I want to be with you. And I also know what you will say, that we shouldn't get into this right now, that we need to wait and I agree, we should wait. Because you deserve so much more than what I can give you at this point. I can't be the person that makes you happy right now because, well, look at me. A relationship shouldn't start like this. It should be all about butterflies and happiness and right now I am not able to make you happy. And you deserve the perfect start, a traditional way, so I get it if you don't want this right now, but- I am selfish. I have always been. That is why I am telling you all this now, why I am ignoring all the reasons to wait and figure it out when the time has come but- I need you, Bon."

When he was finished he kept his eyes locked with hers, waiting for a reaction. All Bonnie could do was stare at him. Her heartbeat had risen and so had her breathing. This confession had come without any warning. There was no way she had expected him to confront her about their relationship status. And now that he did, explaining in detail that he knew that this was actually not the right time to start a relationship but that he still wanted to- needed to- was nearly turning her crazy. Her mouth was dry and the words just wouldn't want to return to her and she knew she needed to say something fast. Otherwise Kai might think that she didn't agree with him or worse, that she didn't want to be with him at all. His eyes kept searching her face, to see whether she would agree with him or not. She had to give him an answer but there was no way she would be able to say anything within the next few minutes. So Bonnie leaned forward and placed her lips on his, hoping that he would get what she was trying to tell him.

Their kiss lasted for what felt like hours. Bonnie had forgotten about time and space and she only barely felt anything else then his lips on hers and her heartbeat. But it was her that broke away, because now, even though this kiss had made her lightheaded, she needed to reply.

"I don't care about a perfect, traditional way. I care about you." She whispered against his lips and closed the distance between them once more. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt his arms closing around her waist. Way too soon Kai pulled away from her.

"So, just for the record: Will you, Bonnie Bennett, be my girlfriend?" Kai looked her directly in the eyes, which let her cheeks burn hot. It was surreal. Kai Parker, the bad boy, that never spent too much time with the same girl, wanted her to be his girlfriend. Somehow she doubted that he had ever asked any other girl to be his girlfriend before. She recalled so many moments in which he had told her that he wasn't the relationship-type. But right now, he was the one suggesting it and it felt right.

"Yes, I will. And just for the record: I think I already was." She whispered the second part and closed the distance between them. Their lips touched again for a brief time. When Bonnie looked back into Kai's eyes she could see a hint of adoration in them before they were guarded again by a curtain of numbness she had gotten so used to seeing in the past days.

Her hands found his cheeks again and she looked at him intensely. "Come here." After that she moved backwards into the bed and lay down. Kai followed her example and placed himself next to her, his head resting on her chest again and his arms wrapped tightly around her. She was brushing through his hair again, an action she would always enjoy, and watched him snuggle into her even further. It didn't last too long and both of them were drifting off into sleep.

When Bonnie awoke, she was a little confused. There seemed to be something missing, something that had been there when she fell asleep, something important. When she turned her head to her right and saw the figure laying next to her it all became clear. The thing that had been missing was closeness and body heat of the boy lying next to her right now. The boy that had needed her help and support for the past few days. The boy that last night, asked her to be his girlfriend.

Kai was still asleep. Instead of resting his head on her chest like he had done when they fell asleep, he was now lying on his stomach, head turned towards her, but he was lying several inches away from her, which had given her the impression that something had been missing. She reached out her hand in order to touch his cheek but right before her fingertips would have found his skin, she withdrew. Her selfish need to be close to him had to wait since he was still sleeping and that was something that he had lacked off immensely in the past. She had decided that she would not interrupt his resting at any cause. So she had to settle for gazing at him from the far. That also gave her the opportunity to think about last night's events.

Like did it really happen? Did Kai really ask her to be his girlfriend? She could answer that question with a very certain yes. There had been no indicator that anything that happened last night was her imagination. She could remember the situation very vividly. But the fact that it had indeed happened didn't turn down the question whether he was still supporting his earlier decision to be with her. Kai was as unpredictable as it could be. She couldn't be completely sure of his intentions, even now, or especially now.

Uncertainty made its way into her mind and made itself a home. As much as she didn't want to doubt that her future with Kai would have a relationship foreseen for them, she had to. Luckily, she would only have to wait until he woke up to get her answer to that question. Bonnie turned her gaze back to the ceiling and sighed. How would a relationship with Kai look like? He didn't have any experience in commitments like this and neither did she. Her relationship with Jeremy was basically kindergarten-like. She only saw him every once in a while, not giving her the opportunity to ACTUALLY do things real couples do. Every time she would go to Virginia she would only spent a fraction of her time with him, due to all the other people she had so see while visiting. So basically, her relationship with Jeremy would be limited to texting, calling (occasionally), making out and having sex (also only occasionally). What kind of experience was that?

But at least she had experience in the emotional part of a relationship, because she had had feelings for Jeremy. She had always been under the impression that she had loved him, but now with all the emotional rollercoaster Kai had put her through she wasn't too sure any more. But she was sure that she had liked him more than others, and that was more than Kai could say. Kai had been the ultimate avoider of emotional connections until he met her. It was kind of sweet to think that she had shown him that there was another way, but it also opened up a few obstacles that the two of them would have to face in time. Additionally, they would have to figure out how they would handle their previous friendship. That emotional bond would not just go away now that they decided that kissing each other and having sex on a regular basis was part of their relationship. There was still so much to figure out, but they would have to do that when time passed because right now the burning topic was still making sure that Kai got better.

Bonnie sighed once more and closed her eyes for a second before she turned her head back to watch Kai. She was surprised to look into his beautiful blues when she turned her head. He was watching her, calmly and silently and when their gazes locked he said. "Hi."

The hoarse sound of his voice, an indication that he had just woken up, sent a shiver down her spine. "Hi." She replied her voice sounding equally hoarse. "Since when are you up?"

"A few minutes." He turned to his side, eyes never leaving hers.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Bonnie snickered.

"Because I was watching you." He said like it was obvious.

"Don't you think that is a little creepy? Rather watching someone without them knowing then talking to them?"

Kai shrugged. "I just like watching beautiful things."

Bonnie breathed in sharply at his comment that he so casually made. Her heart started hammering against her chest while he still watched her. A second later he closed the distance between them, leaned forward and captured her lips with his. Bonnie closed her eyes, reveling in the sweet and gentle touch. All the worries from a few minutes ago were washed away. She had her answer to at least one question now. Kai wanted this, wanted her, and the selfish part inside her cheered to this.

This kiss ended too soon for her liking. Kai placed a final quick peck on her lips before he placed his arm around her body and caressed her back. "So, what were you thinking about earlier? It looked pretty important." He asked her.

"Well, last night-you-me-us." Bonnie avoided his gaze because suddenly she felt shy. Admitting that her thoughts were dominated by him was a pretty big thing. Normally, Kai would tease her about it all day but lately he wasn't up to his usual mischief. Who could blame him? So today, the vulnerable side of Kai just accepted her comment and nodded.

It was still early in the morning. Bonnie had about half an hour before she needed to get up and go to school. She offered Jo to give her a ride today, since she had decided to go back to school. Kai had made it clear that he wasn't ready to go back yet. She had actually wanted to try and not wake him up since he had no reason to be up this early, but now that he was she was kind of looking forward to spending the next few minutes with him in bed. Bonnie reached out and cupped Kai's face. She stroked her thumb along his cheek while he leaned into her touch, eyes closed.

"So- this is really happening." Bonnie whispered.

Kai opened his eyes again and looked at her with something like uncertainty in it. Nothing that happened too often. "Unless you changed your mind?" he replied a little unsure.

"Gosh no." Bonnie was quick to reassure him and he visibly relaxed. "I am as sure about us as I was last night. It's just- a little unreal for me. I mean, you're my best friend, and now-"

"I know." Kai pulled her closer to him and stoked his nose along hers so that their mouths were nearly touching again. "It's a little odd but it feels right."

It was weird how much more open Kai seemed about his feelings for her now that he was grieving. It seemed like the loss of his mother and the pain resulting from it was leading him to be more open about it. Bonnie had heard that something like that sometimes happened to people who had lost someone. That they realized how short life could be so they tried to live it to the fullest with the people that were still there. Bonnie might have thought that this was what happened here, but the openness and honesty Kai showed her were limited to his feelings for her. He never talked about his mother and his loss and Bonnie wished that he would. It seemed like he wasn't facing those emotions at all. The numbness and indifference he showed in any other aspect of his life was starting to scare Bonnie. She knew she had to talk to him about it but she wanted to address her observations with Jo first. She knew him best and maybe it was all Bonnie's imagination.

"Yeah, it does." Bonnie finally said and kissed him.

 **Author's note: Just a little fluff in a dark time. Thanks for reading guys, means so much that you stuck around for over forty chapters of this humble little story.**


	44. Chapter Forty-Four: A Day To Say Goodbye

Chapter Forty-Four: A Day To Say Goodbye

Bonnie used to like the color black. It was smooth and classic. It was also mysterious and sexy, but seeing all these people dressed up in black clothes, faces lined with either grief or condolence gave the color a whole different angle.

It was Friday noon and the sun was, inappropriately, shining down on the mourners in front of the church. Bonnie had never seen any of these people before, even though she had spotted Jessica earlier in the crowd. But of course the funeral of Evelyn Parker would be filled with old friends, coworkers of Joshua Parker, neighbors and acquaintances of the family. The mass of people scared Bonnie and she held on to her mother's hand for dear life. Abby had excused her from school so she could be here and had decided to come along. She never really knew Evelyn Parker but out of respect to her children and to support Bonnie, who had never been to a funeral before, she went along. Since Kai would be sitting with his family in the front row, Bonnie was really glad for her mother's presence because it would keep her from sitting next to a total stranger during the service.

Her gaze rushed through all the people that were gathered in front of the small church but she couldn't spot any of the Parkers yet. Kai hadn't texted her much either today, which was only understandable. He was probably busy trying to get through this day and helping his siblings do the same. Still, the absence of the family was odd considering that Mr. Parker probably had every single detail of this funeral planned out and had directed a special role to every one of his kids that was old enough to take the responsibility. It seemed like everyone else was already here, only waiting for the family members to arrive so that they could go inside.

Bonnie was nervously checking her phone, when two vehicles arrived at the parking lot. Everybody's heads turned in the direction of the cars and the feeling that usually told Bonnie that Kai was near flooded her. Joshua was the first one to pass her, a confused looking Bellamy walking next to him. They were followed by Dawn Abbott and Melinda Parker. The old lady smiled at her when she passed by. Even at the funeral of her own daughter it seemed like she was still willing to make sure that the people around her were okay. Joey was in a rush to get inside, so Bonnie barely noticed him passing by.

When Jo headed for the church she made a stop to hug Bonnie. There was only time for Bonnie to say some encouraging words before Jo had to move on. Right before she was turning away Jo gave Bonnie an intense look. The incomprehension about the meaning of that look was clearly visible on Bonnie's face. She knew Jo wanted to tell her something with her look, something that not everyone around them was supposed to know about. Jo read her right and quickly nodded her head in the direction she had come from. In the far Bonnie could now see Kai approaching. Bonnie quickly looked back at Jo and the question she was trying to ask with her eyes, if there was something going on with Kai, was answered with a barely noticeable nod from Jo before she headed inside the church.

Bonnie was feeling unnerved now. When Bonnie had reported her observations about Kai's behavior and lack of grieving to Jo and voiced her concern, the eldest Parker had reassured her that this was not unusual.

"Kai handles stuff differently. You know that he is not really good at dealing with emotional stuff, he just needs more time. As long as he is not shutting you out in every part of his life, there is nothing to worry about." Jo had said and Bonnie had taken her word on it, giving Kai time and space to deal with his mother's death on his own. But now, Jo's silent warning unsettled her. Had she tried to tell her that Bonnie was right after all? That Kai's behavior was strange and that she needed to look out for him?

She didn't get the chance to take a better look at her boyfriend though. He was carrying Briana when he passed by. The four-year old reacted to Bonnie's presence by reaching out her arms and when Kai was coming her direction Joshua Parker arrived in the entrance of the church and called for his eldest son to come in. Kai gave her an apologetic look and disappeared into the building, Briana in his arms.

. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"This is your last chance, baby girl." Kai heard his grandmother say.

"I want to come." Briana yelled so that everyone would hear it. His grandmother put on Briana's black coat and turned to him.

"Are you taking her?" she asked and Kai nodded. Briana had made a scene earlier about only wanting to go with Kai and sit next to Kai at the funeral. Everyone had wondered if it was a good idea to take her but the girl had a strong will and was determined to come along, so his father had directed him the task of taking care of her that day.

"Good." Dawn said and stroked his cheek before she took Melinda's and Bellamy's hands and guided them outside where his father was already waiting for them. Kai was supposed to follow them with Joey, Jo and Briana right away, but Jo had run upstairs for a last minute wardrobe change which left Kai waiting in the hallway, his hands buried in the pockets of his suit.

"Kai? Are you sitting next to me?" Briana asked next to him.

"Yup." Kai said without looking at his sister.

"Are we going to be able to see everything?" she continued to ask.

"There's not a lot to see, but sure." He answered, sounding bored.

"Can I take Penny Pennerbacker with me?"

"If you need to." Kai lacked any trace of emotion and care in his words. Actually Briana's questions were starting to get on his nerves. What did he care if she took her stupid plush-horse with her or not.

"Okay, here I am we can get going." Jo shouted from upstairs, heading towards the stairs.

"Can Penny sit on the other side of me?" Briana kept asking.

"Yeah, sure. Grab the stupid thing and let's go." Kai tried to usher his little sister to the door but she turned away from him and headed to the dresser where her horse was lying. Joey was already headed to the door.

"Do you think mommie would like it that I bring Penny?"

"I don't care."

"But I want her to like it. If she doesn't like Penny being there, I can't take her. She was sometimes a little bit mean to her, maybe-"

" _For god's sake_ , Briana!" Kai raised his voice and turned to his sister. He couldn't take her blabbing any longer. "Can you just be quiet for 5 minutes or is that too much to ask?"

Everybody froze. Joey that was nearly outside the door by now was staring back at Kai. Jo who had finally put on her coat and was about to head to the door herself had frozen her movement. Briana was just standing there, watching Kai with big eyes. Kai looked down at his little sister. He knew that he was probably looking like he was going to explode but there was nothing he could do about it. All he felt was anger rushing through his bones.

"Joey, why don't you take Briana to the car?" Jo stepped next to Briana and pushed her towards Joey.

"Yeah, sure. Come on, Bree." Joey took her hand and went outside, very intend on closing the door behind him so that Briana wasn't going to witness anything else that would take place inside. Kai was already annoyed with Jo's very indiscrete way of trying to lecture him. He was in no condition to be lectured right now.

Kai hadn't moved since Jo had pushed Briana outside. He now only turned around because Jo was half dragged him around by his arm. "Are you okay?" she asked with warmth in her voice he hadn't expected to be there.

Kai scoffed. "Terrific. Can we go now?" He said in a nonchalant tone again, starting to head for the door but Jo put out her hand and placed it against his chest, making him stay back.

"Can you be honest for once?"

Kai tilted his head, watching his twin closely. The concern was obvious in her face. Kai wondered how a person could be so worried all the time. Jo seemed to worry about everything and anything, even though it seemed like a lot of times he was the reason for a lot of her worries, intentional or unintentional. While Jo's concern only seemed to grow the longer he stayed silent, a familiar deadness covered Kai again.

"Let's just go." He finally said in a dead voice and passed by her. He was halfway by his car when he heard the engine of his father's car getting started and watched the vehicle leave for the church. Kai said behind the wheel. He had to wait for Jo to arrive though. Apparently she had taken her time following after Kai but when she finally placed herself next to him, he started the engine.

The drive was silent, not even Briana said anything. The heaviness of the impending funeral overwhelmed the siblings and with every inch they got closer to the church, it felt like Jo next to him sank deeper into her seat. Kai instead only felt less of anything the closer they got.

When he turned right on the parking lot of the grave yard, he could spot all the people in front of the church, already waiting for them. Joey was quick to get out of the car, following the rest of the family that rode in his father's car. Jo only threw a glance at him before she too got out. She opened the back door of the car to unbuckle Briana when she started to scream and cry.

"Briana, calm down, please." Jo tried to soothe her.

"NOOOOOO! LEAVE ME ALONE. I DON'T WANT YOU TO DO THIS. I WANT KAI." Briana cried and Jo looked at him for help. He was in no mood to handle Briana's craziness right now, but he also wanted to get this over with, so he got out and took Jo's place. He indicated her to go ahead and she reluctantly did as he said.

Briana was screaming in his ears, tears rolling down her cheeks while Kai unbuckled her and tried to get her out of the car. This was exactly why he thought that Briana should have stayed home. She was too young to understand any of this and it seemed like she would be screaming through the entire service. He could already hear his father's disparagement. 'Well done, Malachai. You can't even handle your own sister.' Kai shook his head.

"Hey Bree, look here. Here's your stupid horse. Wanna take her along or not?" Kai said in a not so gentle tone and grabbed the bear lying next to Briana. He wiggled it in front of her face but it didn't have the wanted effect. She grabbed the horse but her screams only got louder and she refused to get out of the car. Kai was losing his patience. Briana was in a full on screaming-marathon and Kai knew from experience there was only one way of getting her to stop.

Kai clapped his hands in front of her face very loudly and yelled "Hey". Briana's crys instantly faded and she watched her brother with big, wet eyes. "You gotta listen to me, Bree." Kai started. "I know you're feeling bad right now, trust me we all are. This is not easy for any of us but you decided to come here. I'm not telling you you can't be sad. I'm not telling you you can't cry, hell, you have every right to be, but I need you to calm down just a little bit."

Briana snuffled heavily but she stayed silent and kept listening to her brother. "There are a lot of people in there that expect you to behave in a certain way. I bet dad has told you to be a strong girl today, but I'm telling you you can let all the feelings out, if you need to cry, just do it."

"But dad said that I need to be strong for mommie." Briana tossed in and therefore verifying his assumption.

"That's bullshit, Bree. Mommie would want you to be just the way you are. I'll be right there next to you, so if you need to lean onto someone, or need to hold someone I'll be there. But right now, we have to get inside this church and we can't do that if you're being so ruffled. Do you think you can calm down just a little bit?"

Briana nodded. Kai tried a small smile, but he knew that it didn't look believable, not even to his 4-years old sister, so he quickly dropped it. "Come on." Kai said to her and indicated for her to climb out of the car. She immediately reached out both her arms, showing Kai that she wanted him to carry her. Kai sighed but gave in, reaching to her and placing her in his arms. Carefully, he got her out of the car, closed the door and locked it. Then he headed to the church.

The crowd of people was getting ready to head inside the church as well. Most of his family members were probably already inside and Kai shouldered his way through it. Suddenly he spotted Bonnie standing close to the church's entrance next to her mother. She had promised him to be there and seeing her face would have probably taken the edge of him on any other day, but her plain black dress and the concerned look on her face when their gazes met dragged him back to reality. A reality where even Bonnie Bennett's beautiful face couldn't make him feel anything. In his arms Briana was trying to reach out for Bonnie as Kai made his way in her direction.

A smile was forming on her face when he headed her direction. He just wanted to say a quick hello and then get inside but then he saw his father appear in the entrance of the church. He looked for him and when he found him he called his name and gestured to hurry, not accepting any delays. Kai had no other choice but to go straight inside. He really didn't want to get on the bad side of his father this early. It would happen eventually, but not right now.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It had been a beautiful service if you could say anything like that about a funeral. The small church was packed with people and Bonnie and Abby had taken a seat somewhere in the middle. Bonnie had a very good view of everything but most importantly she had a good view of Kai. He was sitting next to Briana at the end of the first row on the other side of the church. During the entire service Bonnie always kept an eye out for him and what she saw unsettled her.

Jo's hint earlier had set her off. Something had happened and she nearly went crazy not knowing what it was. His reactions during the funeral only added to her growing worries. Kai looked untouched, deadpan, nearly impassive. While the other Parker kids and Dawn silently cried at various points during the service, Kai only stared into the far, seemingly not listening to anything that was said.

When Joshua Parker went to say his eulogy, saying goodbye to his wife and the mother of his children, Bonnie felt bad for the man for the first time since she met him. If Mr. Parker was good at one thing, it was using words to create vivid pictures. He made the life that the two had lived together sound like a fairytale and Bonnie teared up. This was the only point Kai had shown any kind of reaction. It wasn't sadness like everyone else, it was anger. His hatred for his father ran so deep that he couldn't even see passed it at his mother's funeral. Whatever it was Joshua said about his wife that angered Kai so much, Bonnie was sure that if no one made sure of it, the two males would clash today, for sure.

When Evelyn's coffin was being carried out to the grave yard, the Parker family was the first to follow. Bonnie held onto her mother's hand for dear life. Even if she didn't know Evelyn Parker that long, the woman had shown her nothing but kindness. The short time she had been honored with her acquaintance impacted Bonnie in a very special way. She had nothing but respect for this woman and it was hurting to know that she was gone.

After everyone said their last goodbyes, the Parker family led the grievers back to the church and everyone gathered before it once more. Bonnie knew that there would be a memorial at the Parker house after the service but not everyone would be attending so a lot of people were gathered around the family members to express their condolences. It took the two Bennetts a while to reach the family because of the amount of people in front of the church but finally they did. Abby went to shake Joshua's hand, expressing her condolences. It was probably the first time ever that the two adults weren't at each other's throats but an occasion like this seemed to calm everyone's heads a little.

While Abby was talking to Joshua and Dawn, Bonnie headed straight to Kai, only to be jumped at by Briana. Bonnie hugged her tight. The small girl was in desperate need of comfort and Bonnie was afraid to let go of her. When Briana moved on to hold on to Joey's hand instead of Bonnie's, Bonnie slowly strayed towards Kai, who was pretending to be in a conversation with Jo and some old man. When their gazes met, Kai ditched the two without a single word and went to meet Bonnie halfway. She embraced him in a tight hug once they reached each other and she didn't let go of him for minutes.

When they let go of each other, Bonnie got a good glance at his expression. Just like during the service there was not a hint of emotion to be seen, even though he tried to smile at her right now.

"How are you feeling?" Bonnie asked while she took his hand.

Kai shrugged. "Okay, I guess." It was more like a question rather than an answer. Bonnie's intense inspection of his face puzzled him. "Is everything alright with _you_?"

Good, at least he hasn't forgotten what human emotions looked like, he was simply not able or not willing to produce them himself at the moment. To Bonnie it seemed like he was walking down a dangerous road. Bonnie knew there were different ways of grieving but pushing away your feelings was never good.

Bonnie nodded at smiled to overplay her concern. Right now was not the time to address this topic. She needed more quiet for that. "Yeah, it's just been a lot lately."

"I know." Kai leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Despite her worries for him, the gesture send the well know butterflies out through her entire body.

"Hey sweetie." Abby's voice reached them from the left. She smiled and turned towards Kai, hugging him to her. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm managing, somehow." Kai answered when Abby finally let go of him. Bonnie wanted to roll her eyes at his comment. If by 'managing' he meant suppress, then she totally agreed with him. But he was probably not aware of his actions so there was no way of blaming him for this and Bonnie suppressed her urge to make a sarcastic comment. Kai and her hadn't had their first real fight yet and she had no desire to rush into it, but she somehow had the feeling that this whole topic might turn out into their first fight. But tonight was not the day for that.

"Baby, I was gonna head home, are you coming along or do you want to stay?" Abby asked her daughter. Bonnie had promised to be there for the memorial, not only to Kai but also Jo. But she really wanted to get out of this dress and get into something more comfortable.

"No, I'll catch a ride with you." Bonnie said and she noticed Kai's attention spiking so she quickly reassured him. "Just to get a change of clothes. I'll be back later for the memorial, okay?" Bonnie placed her hand on his arm and Kai nodded.

"Alright, see you in a bit." Bonnie stood up on her tiptoes to place a soft kiss on Kai's cheek before she turned around and followed her mother. She threw a glance over her shoulder to watch Kai one more time but he was already surrounded by people again.

Bonnie hurried to catch up with her mother. When the two were in the car Abby asked if Kai was really okay. Even she had picked up on this freaking deadness. Bonnie reassured her mother that he'd be alright, eventually, hoping that what she said would come true.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The black jeans and blouse Bonnie had changed into were a whole lot more comfortable. She was glad that she had decided to change before getting to the Parker's. When she entered she saw a bunch of strangers, still dressed in fancy suits and dresses but when Melinda passed by her, she noticed that she had also decided to change from her funeral dresses to more comfortable clothes.

She told her that she would find the others in the backyard. When Bonnie stepped outside she found nearly the entire family, except Joshua and Melinda, sitting around a table. Even the twins were there, one of them sitting on their grandmother's lap the other one sleeping peacefully on Jo's. The heads turned to her when she stepped outside and she was greeted with a warm hello. The Parker's had gotten so used to her being around. When Melina caught Bonnie and Kai kissing in the kitchen a few days ago, she was running around the house screaming and telling everyone about what she saw. She probably did it to piss off Kai, because she knew that he didn't like the way certain news were handled in the family but Bonnie had to think that maybe she just did it because deep down, the 'mature' Melinda was still just a kid.

"Why are you all hiding out here?" Bonnie asked while she headed to where Kai was sitting.

"Have you been in there? It's like a freaking zoo." Joey scoffed and Bonnie understood. She sat down on the armrest of Kai's chair and smiled down on him. The corner of his lips went up for the tiniest part of a second before he went back looking uninterested. Her chest slightly pinged as she saw the change happen but she didn't let it show on her face, instead she placed a reassuring hand on Kai's shoulder as the conversation, that Bonnie's arrival interrupted, resumed.

"Anyways, I thought he was being out of line, that's all." Jo concluded a statement that she previously started. Bonnie couldn't follow but apparently the others could and everyone agreed with her. She felt Kai lean back in his chair. Instead of showing any kind of reaction to Jo's statement like the others did, Kai only looked into the far of their back yard.

"Alright my darlings, it is time for me to get these little nuggets to bed." Dawn carefully rose, seeing that Lucas- or was it Olivia?- seemed to have fallen asleep as well. She put the baby into the buggy before taking the second baby off Jo's lap and repeating her actions. She left the other kids alone and disappeared into the house.

When his grandmother was out of sight, Joey leaned forward and said, in a hushed voice "So, should we do something about it?"

"No way! Nothing is set in stone anyways so leave it be, Joey." Jo immediately and firmly said and Bellamy seemed to agree with her. Bonnie couldn't follow the conversation but it seemed important to Joey. It was probably the same topic they had been talking about before. Joey wasn't satisfied with that answer and looked over to Kai for his reaction.

"What are you looking to me for?" he asked bored.

"Well, what do you think?" Joey asked directly.

Kai shrugged. "Do something, or don't. What do I care?" Kai waved off the question and Joey seemed confused.

"I thought that you might have the strongest opinion about it."

"Why?"

"Because it's dad being a dick? Normally, you would jump at his throat if he decided something over our heads. And this is something major, I thought that you might be a little more concerned about the fact that he wants Briana and the twins to go to boarding school once it's time because it is more convenient for him now that mom isn't around anymore."

Bonnie raised her eyebrows at what Joey had mentioned. Mr. Parker wanted the three youngest to go to boarding school? Wasn't that a little early and a little drastic to decide just after their mother had died? Bonnie turned to look at Kai again who still seemed too relaxed and uncaring in his chair.

"I just think there is nothing to be done about it if dad had set his mind to it. We don't have any right to object to this so it would be a waste of time to even think about it. But go ahead, talk to dad about it. He sure would be happy to hear your opinion and consider it in his decision." Kai spat out.

Joey glared at his brother, something like betrayal visible in his eyes. "Wow, I never thought I'd see this day. We should all go and bow to the almighty Joshua Parker for finally breaking Kai's personality. Since when have you become dad's little lap dog?"

Kai's face darkened at Joey's statement and he leaned forward. "What did you say to me?"

"I think you heard me just fine." Joey spat back.

"Alright guys, that's enough." Jo tried to interfere and Bonnie placed her hand on Kai's arm in order to draw him back casually. But Kai freed himself out of her grip when Joey got to his feet and provocatively loomed over Kai. The latter was about to follow his brother's example if Bonnie wouldn't have gotten up from the armrest and placed herself in front of Kai, successfully blocking him from his brother's figure while Jo tried to calm Joey down at the other end of the table.

"Kai, please." Bonnie uttered and wanted to continue calming him down when a commanding voice reached them form the patio door.

"Is there a problem out here?"

Everyone turned to watch Joshua Parker's firm posture standing in the opened door, watching his children and Bonnie. Jo was quick to reassure her father that everything was under control but Bonnie knew better when she saw the way Kai still glared at his brother.

"Good." Joshua said coldly. "Malachai, I need you to come with me." He then commanded, leaving no doubt that this wasn't a request but a command. Kai inhaled deeply once more before getting up. Bonnie stepped away from him just an inch so that he would have enough room to stand. He quickly took her left hand in his and squeezed it before he turned to follow his father inside. When he was gone, Joey snorted annoyed.

"See what I'm talking about?" Joey pointed in the direction Kai and his father had just disappeared to.

"You should play it down a little, Joey." Bonnie said, annoyed at his unreasonable outburst. Joey only shook his head and went inside.

Bonnie exhaled and let herself fall into Kai's abandoned chair. No matter how much she loved this family, being with them was always nerve wrecking. Bonnie wondered if this was just how it was when you had siblings.

"Excuse my stupid brothers, I guess they are a little on edge these days." Jo apologized.

"Don't bother. It's not like I'm not used to this kind of tension." Bonnie joked and Jo chuckled. She moved over from her seat across the table to sit down next to Bonnie.

"How are you doing?" Bonnie asked her friend. She hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Jo earlier at the funeral and she needed to make sure she was doing okay.

"It's hard. Especially when my siblings behave like this. Sometimes I feel like their nanny not their sister." Jo said honestly and Bonnie could completely understand after what she just witnessed.

"You know you can always talk to me, right?" Bonnie placed her right hand on Jo's and squeezed.

Jo smiled. "Can I? I mean, now that you and my twin brother are in _cahoots_ , you're sure you can stay liberal on matters that concern him?" Jo looked at her, a mocking smile on her face.

The two broke into laughter. It was good seeing that at least one Parker was handling this situation accordingly. "Trust me Jo, you will never hear me say anything against you if you're complaining about Kai. I get what kind of pain in the ass he can be." Bonnie chuckled and the two friends smiled at each other.

"Hey, I never got to tell you that I am really happy that the two of you finally hit it off." Jo stated. "You two are really great together and I think that Kai really need someone like you in his life right now."

Bonnie couldn't help but feel the heat rush to her cheeks at Jo's nice words. "Thanks, Jo."

Jo smiled at her but then suddenly her smile died. The expression on her face reminded her of the expression she had worn earlier in front of the church. "What is it, Jo?"

"You know when you asked me if I thought Kai's behavior was odd and I said that he'll be okay eventually, that you shouldn't worry about it because that was his way of handling things?" Jo asked and Bonnie nodded. "Well, maybe I wasn't right about that." Jo continued.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked worried.

"These past few days, I have noticed the same things you told me about. He seems moody, which is not anything too strange for him, but he only seems to be in a bad mood over something concerning dad or otherwise he's just- I don't know, apathetic. I had put it off as grief but somehow I feel like he is not facing his emotions properly. I'm kind of worried what this might lead into and he won't let me in."

Bonnie sighed. Her fears about Kai's recent behavior were returning at full scare now that Jo had confirmed them. "I'm waiting for the right moment to address this, but I'm afraid that he still might not talk to me about it. It's like he is suppressing his feelings and I don't have a way in." Bonnie confessed her concern.

"But will you try? I'm really worried, Bonnie."

"Of course I will. This is no way of handling his grief. I want to help but I can't if he won't let me. I can't promise anything but I will try and make him open up." Bonnie promised and Jo squeezed her hand thankfully.

The wind had picked up around them and the sun that had warmed the earth during the day was starting to set, giving way for the clouds to take over. Bonnie shivered.

"Alright guys, let's get inside." Jo said to Bellamy, Briana and Bonnie and stood up. Bellamy took his younger sisters hand and led her inside. Jo followed his example and took Bonnie's hand into hers. When they were inside, Jo turned to close the door behind her. There were slightly fewer people in the house now, but it still took Bonnie a while to find a place to sit. On their way over to the couch Bonnie and Jo spotted Kai and Joshua.

The two were standing in the hallway, away from all the guests and out of earshot. Joshua was speaking to Kai, in what seemed like a seriously angry way. Kai didn't look at his father and seemed like he had trouble keeping himself in check. Bonnie and Jo threw each other a worried glance and secretly agreed to get over there to be de-escalating the situation but someone else was faster than them.

Dawn Abbott joined father and son and started to talk insistently to Joshua. Kai stepped back a little behind his grandmother and watched her. A hint of the devilish smile Bonnie had seen on Kai so often appeared on his face. From the far, it seemed like Joshua was being scolded like a dog by Dawn. He lowered his gaze and Dawn's forefinger pointed at him accusingly, only stressing the impression of a dog and it's owner. After a while Joshua seemed to have come around and briefly said something to Kai. The latter replied something and turned around to leave him alone, his grandmother following him to talk to him in private.

"What was that?" Bonnie asked, a little taken aback by the scene.

"Well that was granny doing what she does best." Jo laughed. It seemed like she had seen something like this play out more often. The fact that she could laugh about it confused Bonnie even more. Jo witnessed her confusion and elaborated further. "It's obvious that dad and Kai don't get along very well. Dad is always too hard on him, expecting thing from him that are more than utopian. Actually, Kai is always doomed to fail in dad's eyes. You may have noticed that granny isn't dad's biggest fan. They never liked each other but granny always had a soft spot for Kai. I think he is her favorite. So, whenever she has a chance to protect Kai from dad's irrational wrath, she does and in a convincing way, as you just saw. I think granny is the only person that dad is actually afraid of. That's why he doesn't like when she's visiting or when we, especially Kai, spent too much time in England. He thinks her personality could rub off on us."

All that Jo just said made sense. The way Dawn talked to Joshua, Joshua backing off and the way she was now talking to Kai, in what seemed like the total opposite to the way she had just spoken to his father. But something about all this was bothering Bonnie. "You say this like you don't even mind that Kai is Dawn favorite."

Jo laughed again. "How could I, Bonnie? I know that granny loves all of us dearly, she has enough love to suffocate all of us a hundred times over. I love Kai so much, he is like my second half, and so does granny. How can I blame her for feeling exactly the same as I do? Also, I think he can use someone in his corner." Jo looked at her and then smiled. "And now that he has you, I don't even have to be so worried about him once granny leaves for England."

Bonnie looked at her with wide eyes. Jo didn't say anything else but only went to sit down next to Briana at the couch. Bonnie stayed put, a little startled by what Jo just implied about Bonnie being Kai's new crutch in life. The importance Kai's twin sister assigned Bonnie with was encouraging and scary at the same time.

She was still frozen in place and in her thoughts when she felt someone take her hand and put a soft kiss on her knuckles. Bonnie awoke out of her rigor and looked into Kai's gray eyes. She had to smile instantly at the now familiar feeling that spread through her whenever he was close.

"You okay? You seemed to be thinking about something." Kai asked.

"I'm good. What about you? What was that talk with your dad all about?"

Kai scoffed. "He was trying to get me to talk to some of his company clowns. I don't know why but when I refused he thought it was time for a serious father-son conversation in which he only ranted about my inability to behave properly at- well _anything_."

Bonnie reached out her hand to cup his face. She couldn't believe that Joshua would go just as far as using his wife's funeral to push Kai further into the role as company heir. Kai seemed to be pretty cool about it, either because he didn't expect anything from his father anymore or because of his weird way of being untouched by anything lately. Even though Kai didn't seem to need comforting, he still closed his eyes and leaned into Bonnie's touch. Out of all the emotions he suppressed, Bonnie was at least glad that he seemed to allow the feelings revolving around herself to be present at all times.

Kai reopened his eyes and looked at her with warmth. Bonnie smiled lovingly at him and pulled him down to her for their first kiss that day. It lasted only seconds but after it Kai rested his forehead against hers. "Thanks for being here, Bon."

"There's no place in the world I'd rather be." Bonnie silently confessed.


	45. Chapter Forty-Five: A Little Party

Chapter Forty-Five: A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asked. The doubt she was feeling was clearly audible in her voice and she earned a sharp look for it.

"Yes, most definitely." Kai replied boldly, almost sounding like his old self.

"Don't you want to think about it again? I mean, no one is rushing you."

Kai got up from his chair and went over to hers, leaning onto the armrests. "Bon, tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do the entire day. Also, it's senior year and even though I have the ability to process a lot of information in a short amount of time, I am not _that_ good. So, going back to school is the obvious choice." Kai closed the distant between them right before Bonnie opened her mouth to interject and captured her mouth with his. The kiss, which Bonnie tried to wiggle her way out of at first turned into a full make-out session when Bonnie realized there was no getting out of it and started to embrace it rather than to fight it. She was well aware that Kai was trying to distract her from the topic of his imminent return to school just two days from now (and damn the bastard for being so good at it) but there was nothing Bonnie could do to fight this. Her body would just give in to him. She saw how this could turn out to be a problem in the future. If Kai would use his body every time to get out of a discussion with her, Bonnie might need to commit herself into rehab so she could learn a few techniques to withstand the alluring sensation that was Kai Parker, in order to finally get things talked through. But right now was not the time or place to be pushy, so Bonnie reveled in the moment instead.

Too soon for her liking Kai broke off the kiss and smiled at her triumphantly and sat back down in his seat, turning his attention back to the cereals in front of him. _What a freaking dick._

They were sitting in the Parker dining room. Bonnie had stayed over after the memorial had ended and had made sure that Kai got enough rest after an exhausting day like this. It had taken him a while to fall asleep but once Bonnie started stroking his hair, his lids got heavier by the second and he finally closed his eyes. Bonnie soon after followed him into the land of dreams. Now, after spending half the morning being lazy, they were eating a late breakfast- consisting of cereals for him and bacon and eggs for her- when Kai had presented her with his choice to come back to school on Monday.

She had been happy hearing this at first, but then the doubt kicked in. What if he wasn't ready- and Bonnie was pretty certain that he was not after everything Jo had told her yesterday- and going back to school would only make things worse? Right now she had him mostly to herself, except for his family, but with all these other people around, it might get harder for her to reach him and talk to him about his way of grieving. She needed to make sure she talked to him before school started again. She just needed a good opportunity.

The opportunity didn't come, at least within the next two hours she spent with Kai. He seemed significantly better than yesterday, which was not really surprising, but he still avoided certain topics and was overall too indifferent about pretty much everything. Bonnie would need to have this talk tomorrow since she promised Faye to come over. So she said goodbye to him and thought about the best way to initiate this talk on her way over to Faye.

Faye was in some crisis over what to wear to some party later that day. Bonnie was too occupied with her own thoughts that she missed what kind of party she was referring too until Faye turned to her and asked her what she would wear.

"Me?" Bonnie asked confused.

"Yeah, I guess you won't be looking like this." Faye pointed at her sweat pants and loose shirt. She hadn't minded changing before heading to Faye's.

"I'm not going to go anywhere tonight, Faye." Bonnie shook her head to underline the finality of her decision, there was no point in trying to convince her otherwise.

"Really? You're going to let Kai go alone?"

"What? Kai is not going to any party!" Bonnie was surprised to hear Faye say this. How in the world would she think he was up for that already?

Faye shrugged. "Hmmm, I heard some people say he was showing up. I mean, this is the 'boarding school party-girl' that's throwing this party. You know the one that's party you actually attended this year with Carolina and Elena? Kai is actually a regular party guest on her parties but I guess this is not the right time and she only did announce the party about a week ago, maybe he didn't even hear about it."

Faye kept on rambling about that party but Bonnie's thoughts were spinning again. "Who said he was gonna be there?" Bonnie asked.

"I spoke to Jennifer Friggs, who is currently dating Brian Glen and according to her, Brian said Kai would show up "for sure"." The last part of her sentence she put in air quotation. Faye now watched Bonnie's reaction to this. Brian Glen said Kai was going to go to that party? That was news to her. Kai was in NO condition to be drinking but the fact that it came from Brian, one of Kai's oldest friends, worried her. But would he really hide something like this from her? At this point, Bonnie didn't know what he would do or not do, because he had become somewhat unpredictable, even more than before. But the problem now was that his carelessness and the grief he was trying to avoid would make the prospect of dulling his feelings even further with alcohol sound like a really good thing. If he heard of this party and his friends pushed him a little he might have said yes. If he did say yes, tonight would turn into a disaster.

"Where is this party again?" Bonnie finally asked.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After texting him, asking about his plans for the night the second Bonnie left Faye's house, she drove back home. She only checked her phone when she was parking her car in front of her house. Before she read his answer she breathed in an out. God help him if he lied to her right now. He didn't because he plainly told her he was planning on going to that party. But he also didn't see Bonnie's objections when she told him that that might not be the best idea. Their short discussion via WhatsApp about the topic ended with him telling her he'd go anyways and if she wanted she could join him.

Bonnie sighed and went inside. She slammed the door shut, the anger about Kai's negligence coming to the surface.

"You alright, baby?" Abby stuck her head out of the kitchen.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Bonnie said but sounded anything but. She followed her mother into the kitchen, slammed her bag onto the ground and let herself drop down on a kitchen chair. Her mother was drying Champaign glasses over at the kitchen island and watched her daughter with wary eyes.

"Should I even mention that I don't believe you for a second or are we just going to pretend that I am not witnessing your mood today?"Abby asked.

Bonnie scoffed. There was no way of hiding her true feelings from her mother, she shouldn't have even tried. "It's not even a big thing, it's just- Kai wants to go to a party tonight and I think that that is more than just a dumb idea but the stubborn bastard won't listen to me." Bonnie placed both her elbows on the table and buried her hands in her hair.

"You think he's not ready for a little bit of normality yet?" Abby wondered out loud.

"I don't only think so, I'm 100% sure of it. He is not dealing with his loss properly, he is running from it. Also, a party can hardly be considered 'a little bit of normality'. Kai isn't exactly known to be the civil bystander in those kinds of things. He'll use this opportunity to bury his pain even further with the help of alcohol and in his current condition it is not really helpful, but of course he doesn't see it like that." Bonnie voiced her concern and her mother nodded understandably.

"You know you can't force him to grief, right? He has to find his own way of dealing with this. Maybe he needs to make this experience to understand that this is not the way."

"Mom, he doesn't even know that he is having an issue. He thinks he's getting better. I know that I can't force him into anything but I am concerned about him. I can't let him run off into his own misery like that." The desperation Bonnie felt inside rushed to the surface. This guy was the most complicated person Bonnie had ever encountered but due to her feelings for him and the very strong bond they shared even when you didn't consider the romantic aspect of their relationship, she couldn't just let him be. She needed to go to that party to make sure he was okay.

Bonnie checked the clock and then jumped out of her chair. Abby looked at her surprised. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. I'm going to that party." Bonnie explained and went to get upstairs to her room.

"Wow, rewind. You're going to a party where a bunch of teenagers are drinking alcohol without parental supervision?" Abby followed Bonnie to the landing.

Bonnie stopped in the middle of the stairs and turned around to watch her mother. "Mom, there is no need to be concerned right now. I'm not going to enjoy myself, I'm going to babysit my boyfriend. I'll take the car so I won't be drinking anything tonight, you can trust me. Anyways, wouldn't be the first time I went to a party." Bonnie turned back around and disappeared into her room.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10 p.m.

That was the time Faye had told her the party would start. It was 10:30 now that Bonnie was walking inside the house she only barely remembered from the last time she was here with Elena and Caroline. It was a different time then. She and Kai had only just become friends, celebrating their history assignment, and Bonnie was still deep into the Jeremy-drama. Tonight though, she wasn't here to have fun with her friends, she was here to make sure the guy, that was now not only her best friend but her boyfriend, wouldn't drink himself to death. She hadn't even bothered changing. She had only put on some jeans but kept the loose shirt she had worn all day.

She had waited a little to arrive at the party scene because she didn't think that Kai would be the first to arrive. When she entered the house and saw all the drunken teenagers, she knew that this couldn't have been the result of thirty minutes of partying. Faye must have told her the wrong time.

"Bon, you're here." Like on cue Faye appeared between a bunch of dancing drunks and hugged her.

"I thought this only started half an hour ago." Bonnie screamed over the loud music.

"What? No. The party already started at 8. Did I forget to tell you that? There was a circular mail-" Faye looked apologetic but Bonnie wasn't mad at her. It was only an honest mistake. "Come on, I'll get you an apology-drink."

Faye wanted to drag her to the kitchen but Bonnie stopped her. "I'm not here to drink, Faye. Have you seen Kai?"

"Well, he's most definitely here somewhere. I saw him earlier but not in while."

"I need to find him." Bonnie screamed and Faye told her where she saw him last. Bonnie turned around and left her friend behind. It was hard to get from one place to another because the dancing crowd was literally everywhere and Bonnie bumped into someone every ten inches. When she finally got to the lounge room where Kai was supposed to be, she was already in a bad mood and when she found the room empty except for a couple that was making out in the corner it didn't get any better. Bonnie sighed and turned around to watch over the living room. It was the general partying area but people were spread all over the house and the back yard. It could take forever for her to find him. She didn't even bother calling him because he wouldn't notice anyways. The music was way too loud and way too bassy.

She decided that the best technique would be to take a look into every room before she would head outside. On her way to the kitchen she ran into Liza and Connor who were sitting in the sunroom like the last time. She quickly went to say hi and asked Liza if she had seen Kai but Liza only knew as much as Faye. Bonnie wanted to continue her search, not bothering asking Connor for help, when he held onto her arm.

"He was taking shots by the pool outside only 10 minutes ago." Connor said like a beaten dog. He was probably still feeling bad for what he said the other day. Bonnie had given him a rather hard time recently, not too happy about this rivalry in general but what Connor said about Kai in the cafeteria had just taken the cake. Connor held on to Bonnie's arm for a moment longer, his eyes piercing into hers. He was clearly trying to look apologetic and the fact that he helped her find him right now only underlined that feeling. Bonnie hadn't told every one of her friends about her and Kai yet and Faye had promised to keep it to herself for now. His reaction to that news would be interesting. She wasn't willing to forgive him just yet but she was glad for his help. She smiled at him and he finally let her go.

Rushing towards the back door to get to the pool area Bonnie bumped into even more people, some of them too drunk to stay safely in one place and some wildly making out. She was starting to feel a little jealous of these people who could just get wasted, didn't have to bother about anything else and could just have a good time with the person they were attracted to. Bonnie wanted to do just that.

After a while she finally reached the door. When her hand reached out for the door knob she was swept off her feet by strong arms and turned around in one quick move before her feet touched the ground again. She was a little disorientated and didn't know who had swung her around like this until she heard a deep voice talk to her.

"Benneeeett, so nice to see you could make it."

Bonnie looked up and was surprised to look into the boofy face of Brian Glen. He smiled a crooked smile and watched her with a mixture of restraint and politeness that she had never seen on him before.

"I didn't know you cared so much." Bonnie said sarcastically, wondering what had gotten into him to address her in such a way. He didn't seem too drunk, his eyes were still clear and he could still stand straight but there was a hint of an alcohol scent on him and Bonnie hated that she was standing close enough to even smell it.

"Well, of course I do, Bonnie. We're all friends here, aren't we?" Brian exposed his teeth in the smile he gave her now. He didn't intent to, Bonnie was sure, but he looked to arrogant and dumb right now.

Bonnie only watched him skeptically. The two had only talked about three times before and it had never been pleasant. There was never anything close to friendship forming between the two so Bonnie had no idea what this was all about. But now that she had Brian right in front of her, she could use the opportunity and ask about Kai's whereabouts. She opened her mouth to ask when Brian beat her to it.

"Listen, Bonnie. I know we have gotten off on the wrong foot and I know that that was mostly my fault. I wanted to apologize for that and make sure that we're cool. I mean, you're Kai's girl now, and Kai is my friend. I don't want any bad blood between us, you know."

Bonnie blinked. Did Brian Glen kind of apologize to her for being a dick? It was completely weird because he had never bothered about what she thought of him before but now that he knew that her and Kai were together, it seemed like he wanted to iron everything between them. It didn't make any sense to her, but the weird friendship that Kai had with this guy had always been a mystery to her. The way Brian seemed to be scared of Kai sometimes and the way he tried everything to make Kai content, it was just weird. Maybe he was just afraid that Bonnie would say something bad about him and Kai would lash out on Brian for it. Not a really nice prospect, Bonnie had to admit.

"Don't worry, Brian. We're good." Bonnie simply said and Brian seemed to relax. "Hey, speaking of Kai, have you seen him?" Bonnie continued.

Brian told her the same as Connor just mere minutes ago and Bonnie used the opportunity and got away from Brian. He seemed like a harmless guy but there was just something about him Bonnie couldn't stand. She would try and stay out of that one's reach for as much as possible.

When Bonnie finally got to the back yard she could spot Kai and a few other guys, including Walter, gathering by the pool. There were bottles of alcohol spread all over the ground which daunted her. The tiny hope that he had been reasonable and hadn't gotten drunk was disappearing. Kai stood with his back to her so he couldn't see her, but Walter seemed to recognize her, at least he said something and gestured in her direction while Bonnie approached them which made Kai turn around. His face lit up when he spotted her and her heart betrayed her because she hadn't seen such an expression on him in a while and it was his reaction to _her_. But no, she had to stay strong now.

She reached him and before she could say anything she felt his lips pressed on hers. Kai kept her in a tight embrace and normally she would have felt a horde of butterflies rushing through her stomach but right now all she could take in were the whistles and encouraging sounds of the dudes sitting behind them and the obvious sent of alcohol in Kai's breath.

The kiss ended rather quickly, but Kai still kept her pressed against him. "Hey there, I didn't think you'd actually show."

"You and me both." Bonnie wiggled her way out of his grip which he obviously disliked and tried actively to prevent. "Are you drunk?" Bonnie now hissed silently so that the others couldn't hear her. Kai let go of her.

"Juuust slightly." Kai joked but the way he was slurring his words told her that he was more than just slightly drunk, not as drunk as she had expected him to be since he was still able to walk and talk but still- she had been too late.

"Yeah, right." Bonnie stated. "Would you mind leaving your posse alone for a minute or two?"

"Yeah Parker, go hit that." Some dude yelled as he heard her words. Kai only turned around and threw him a deafening death-glare. Without further recognition he took Bonnie's left hand and dragged her away from the pool and around the house. They stopped when they reached the porch. Bonnie instantly recognized the place. It was where they first kissed. The prestige of the place didn't escape Kai either, when he sat down on the steps and dragged her down with him, so that she was sitting on his legs, captured in between his arms.

The next second Kai had captured her lips once more but this time it wasn't as gentle as before. The alcohol in his body was probably encouraging him to be bolder. The intensity of the kiss made it impossible for Bonnie to pull away. At first she tried to resist but within seconds she knew there was no way of winning this fight and she lost herself in the kiss. The moment lasted forever until she finally regained some of her brain functions and softly broke of the kiss. Kai tried to place another quick kiss on her lips but she drew away.

With a skeptical look he leaned back a little so he could properly watch Bonnie. "What's going on?"

"As nice as this is, I'm not here for that." Bonnie said, looking down on her lap and then locking gazes with Kai again.

"Oh, no? I thought we were going to get some drinks and then celebrate our more-or-less anniversary. Because, I don't know if you realized but this party was the very first time we kissed." Kai smiled at her.

The fact that this seemed to be a very vivid memory in his mind and that he stressed the importance of said memory like that, made Bonnie's heart skip a beat. Sometimes he was just so cute and he didn't even realize it. "That little fact did not escape my attention." Bonnie suppressed the gigantic smile that wanted to show on her face. She reached out her hand and cupped the right side of his face. "But I won't be celebrating with you here tonight. This is not the place to be for either of us."

Kai sighed annoyed and let his head fall onto her shoulder. "Ergh, not that again."

"Yes, that again. I think we should get home, go to bed, cuddle a little and then sleep it off." Bonnie said softly.

"I feel fine, Bonnie, really. You don't have to worry about me. Everything's better, I feel better. We can enjoy ourselves for a change." Kai tried to convince her.

"Well, like I said, you should sleep it off and we can talk about it in the morning."

"There is nothing to talk about." Kai stated, sounding completely convinced.

Bonnie hesitated. She looked deeply into his eyes. Traces of the lack of sleep and minimal diet over the past weeks were clearly visible on his face. Though he was still as handsome as ever, the change only increased her worries about him. "Yes, there is." Bonnie only stated and he watched her like he didn't have a clue what she was talking about.

"Look, there is something we need to talk about but I need you to be sober for that." Bonnie elaborated further but the expression on his face stayed the same. Bonnie sighed. "I can't force you to do anything, but I'm leaving. You are very welcome to join me." Bonnie placed a peck on his cheek and got off his lap. She walked down the few steps until she was standing on the gravel that lead towards the drive in of the property and turned around once more to face Kai. He was watching her, staying uncharacteristically silent. His expression had faded into an unreadable look.

Bonnie smiled. "Good night, Kai." She turned around and started walking towards the drive way full of cars.

"Wait." Kai said after a few paces. Bonnie turned around and watched him. His gaze was stuck on her and his eyes seemed heavy all of a sudden. He reached out a hand, indicating her to come back. She did and took his outstretched hand. He squeezed her hand and lifted it up to place a soft kiss on it. "I'll get my coat." He simply said and got up, not letting go of her hand.

Bonnie stepped closer to the porch and reached her other hand up to his neck, drawing him down to her so she could give him a kiss. "I'll get the car." Bonnie whispered against his lips and felt him nod. Their ways separated. Kai headed inside and Bonnie headed to her car. She started the engine and drove it as far as she could towards the entrance of the house. Five minutes later, Kai reappeared on the porch and headed straight to her. When he placed himself in the passenger seat they locked gazes for a second.

"Faye says 'bye'." Kai said tiredly.

Bonnie smiled and turned her gaze to the road.

. . . . . . . . . . . …. .. . . . . . . . . .

Just a minute after Bonnie had hit the road Kai had fallen asleep. The alcohol had taken its toll and his general situation probably only added to that. Bonnie directed the car to the Parker house and when they arrived not even 15 minutes later, she hesitantly woke Kai up by brushing her fingers along his cheek.

He stirred and grumbled, seemingly not too amused about having to get up, even though the prospect of a proper bed should have motivated him enough. After yet another five minutes of persuasion Bonnie had finally managed to wake him up properly and they were headed towards the entrance. When they sneaked- or in Kai's case stumbled- into Kai's room, he dropped down on the bed instantly, covering his face with his arm and groaned.

Bonnie only laughed. "Not feeling so good?"

"I can't remember that alcohol has this effect. Never had it before." Kai complained.

"Welcome to the real world." Bonnie snickered, trying not to sound too amused by the sight of Kai suffering. He kind of deserved it. She went over to the bed and sat down on its edge looking over Kai's still covered face. "You need anything?"

"I don't know. What do people need when they are feeling bad because of alcohol?" Kai peaked through at her.

"I don't know. A bucket maybe?" Bonnie teased and Kai groaned.

"You're making fun of me."

"I'm not." Bonnie tried to convince him but the bliss in her voice was clearly audible.

"Yeah, you totally are." Kai wanted to turn away from her but she kept him in place, removing his arm from his eyes and thus forcing him to look at her.

"Hey, I am not." This time she was genuine and Kai looked at her, still not 100% convinced. In contrast to his hangover-like feeling, his eyes were bright and it seemed like he was mostly clear-minded. The short nap had done wonders for his mind but not for his body. His eyes softened now that Bonnie had reached out a hand and brushed it through his hair. "I'll go get you that bucket." She sweetly informed him and wanted to get up. Except Kai had a different idea and held onto her arm, trying to keep her in place but Bonnie was already halfway out of the bed and the tug on her arm made her lose her balance. She tumbled back onto the bed and had to support herself on his right hip to not fall on him completely. When she touched Kai, he hissed and exhaled hardly. He tried to suppress a moan from the pain he was obviously feeling.

Bonnie looked at him, worried. "What was that?" Bonnie's touch couldn't have had such an impact on him, but something was clearly hurting him.

"Nothing, everything's fine." Kai tried to bluff it out but Bonnie was already lifting his shirt to inspect his hip. What she saw was a huge bruise reaching from his hip bone up to his lowest rips.

"Oh my god, Kai. What is this? What happened?" Bonnie asked startled at what she was seeing. She hadn't noticed anything off about him tonight, but the past few days he seemed fine as well, so it could have only happened tonight.

Kai sat back up and pushed his shirt down again. "It's nothing." When Bonnie glared at him he continued. "Well, Zach and Brian got into a fight tonight. It was stupid and they were really punching each other hard. So I tried to calm them down and Brian accidentally hit me, that's all."

"Really? This looks fucking serious, Kai. What kind of person has a punch that can cause something like this?" Bonnie voiced her doubts out loud.

"Err, have you seen Brian? The guy is a quarter back. You don't have the slightest idea what he can do when he is angry."

Bonnie watched Kai intensely. It didn't seem like he was lying to her, but he had still kept the incident from her.

"Why haven't you told me?"

"Why should I? I have a bruise, it'll get better. I'll live. No story to be told here, really."

"I could have helped you." Bonnie nagged helplessly, annoyed that there was yet another thing Kai had kept from her.

"How? What would you have done?" Kai sounded annoyed. "I'm not some damsel in distress. I don't need to be rescued. I can handle myself and if I don't tell you about some dump accident then it is because it is of no importance. You need to stop worrying about me all the time. I- Am-Fine."

"Oh, are you now?" Bonnie bit back and glared at him. Kai focused his attention on her and gave her a warning look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He hissed sharply, now appearing completely sober. It was a rhetorical question because they both knew that what Bonnie was implying wasn't related to this incident but his general condition.

"You know what I mean." Bonnie turned away from his piercing gaze.

"No, please enlighten me. I'd like to hear all about the little psychoanalysis you and Jo-." Kai bitched but Bonnie interrupted him with her own raging voice.

"You know why I didn't want you to go to that party? Because I knew you weren't ready, because you are still hurting. All that talk about being fine tonight. That's bullshit, major bullshit. It's like you're a different person at the moment. No matter what it is, you don't have an opinion or reaction to it. Sometimes it seems like you are not even paying attention to anything that's happening around you. You don't allow your feelings to unfold, you're running away from it. That's why I didn't want you to go to that party because in a situation like this, where you don't want to feel and alcohol and god knows what else is within reach, I feared that you would use the opportunity to further extract yourself from your feelings and I wasn't too wrong, was I?" Bonnie breathed heavily after she finally stopped her rant.

"Okay, you're being a little overdramatic here, Bonnie. It was just a party, I am entitled to a little bit of fun after everything, don't you think?" His tone was accusing. His eyes were boring into hers and Bonnie could clearly see the fury inside of them. Great, this was going great. She had planned for this to be a civil conversation but the moment had been off, so now it had turned into a full-grown fight. Something she had wanted to avoid, actually.

"The point is not that you are not supposed to have fun, Kai. The point is that you are still in pain over losing your mom but you don't want to see it. You're in denial and that is not good. You need to deal with these feelings to get better."

"I AM dealing with this!" Kai exclaimed.

Bonnie scoffed. "Please, look at yourself. You need to stop lying to yourself. You are not okay. You're walking around like a zombie. Your body is still alive but you are dead inside. It's like you don't feel anything."

Something rushed over Kai's face that Bonnie would interpret as hurt. It was only there for a second before it was replaced by anger. They were staring into each other's eyes, both enraged and emotionally heightened.

"I don't feel anything, huh?" Kai finally broke their silence. His voice was calm, too calm for the situation and Bonnie only now realized that she had gone too far with her accusation of him feeling nothing, because she had implied that he was also feeling nothing for her, the only emotion he had shown over the last weeks. Something that Bonnie knew, was hard for him to begin with. Her statement had probably made him think that she didn't believe that his feelings were genuine, that their relationship had any kind of future. However he had taken that statement, it had insulted him.

"Kai-" Bonnie tried to reach out to him to explain her point more civilized but Kai avoided her touch.

"You know, you're right, Bonnie. I don't feel a single emotion. I never have and never will." He interrupted her, still too calm.

"I didn't-"

"What gives you the right to judge the way I am coping with my mother's death? How the hell would you know how I am supposed to deal with my feelings right now? People don't deal the same way with loss and you have no idea what it feels like to lose someone. So why don't you go unnerving someone else with your useless advises?" Now he was the one hurting her with his harsh words. It was on purpose, Bonnie was sure of it. She hurt him, he hurt her back. That was the way the old Kai Parker would have dealt with a situation like this, but she had thought that when it came to the both of them he had grown. But apparently not. Bonnie looked into his face, anger written all over it, he was breathing heavily. Tears started to form in her eyes. She hadn't anticipated such an outcome. She was just worried about him and wanted to help, but apparently he was in more pain than she had thought.

Before the tears could come streaming down her face, she stood up from the bed, reached for her stuff and headed to the door. She heard Kai drop down on the mattress once more. Right before she opened the door she hesitated for a second. Was this really the right way to handle this situation, just storming out of the room? But then she shook her head, she was too hurt and angry at him to be staying and he probably was too. The distance would clear their heads and maybe tomorrow the air between them would have cleared and they could have a decent conversation. But right now, being in each other's vicinity would not do anyone any favors. So she opened the door and got out without a second glance or word.

 **Author's note: Ups, ended things on a not so good note. Hope you'll forgive me.**


	46. Chapter Forty-Six: The Realization

Chapter Forty-Six: The Realization

Bonnie awoke sometime around noon. She had spent half of the night thinking about Kai's and her fight. It had been the first real fight that they had in their relationship. It hadn't been the first fight for them in general but the topic of it was so much more profound. They both had said some mean things and now that Bonnie though about it, the hurt had mostly disappeared and the anger about it was more present.

Kai had implied that he didn't need Bonnie, that her help was unwanted and useless. That was hard to hear, because she had been the one person that was there for him through everything. How can he say something like this? Was he right in any way?

Bonnie turned around in her bed and groaned. Even after a few hours of sleep the fight was still the only thing that was on her mind. Kai was still the only thing on her mind. This guy had an odd way of creeping under her skin and infecting every fiber of her being with himself. There was no escaping him. Bonnie reached out to her phone, half hoping that Kai had texted her and was a little disappointed to see that the only massage she had received was from Faye, asking how she was doing.

With a quick answer Bonnie reassured Faye that she was fine, even though she wasn't but she expected Faye to grab her stuff and come over to make her feel better and she actually just wanted to be alone right now. So for the next two hours, she stayed in bed, not moving out of it once. Her mother only came in to check on her, since this kind of behavior wasn't typical for her daughter. Bonnie tried to give her mother the same lie that she had given Faye, so she would leave her alone, but it was way harder to convince someone that was standing right in front of you, especially when said someone was your mother.

"So what did Kai do to make you isolate yourself for an entire morning?" Abby asked while sitting down on Bonnie's bed.

"Nothing, everything's fine." Bonnie lied. She didn't look at her mother but there was no need to. She could practically feel the piercing look of her eyes on her, the look that said that she didn't believe her. Bonnie sighed and turned to her mother. "What makes you think this is about Kai?"

"Because, my dear Bonnie, I like to think that I know you quite well and in all the years I was honored to be your mom, I have never witnessed you isolate yourself. I am used to you being moody and sad but never like this. And that got me thinking: What has changed recently that would provoke such a change in the way you handle things and there was only one thing that stuck out: Kai."

Sometimes Bonnie hated her mother's parental skills; her intuition and the fact that she could see right through her. Bonnie rolled onto her stomach and buried her face into her pillow.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't feel up to it. Buuuut if a piece of chocolate cake is going to help then I am very willing to get downstairs and get one for you." Abby teased in a humorous tone. Bonnie groaned. Abby had known her weak spot forever but she had only used it once or twice, until now.

"Fine, I'll take the cake." Bonnie mumbled into the pillow and she felt her mother get up and leave the room. Moments later she returned with two plates and forks in her hand. She sat back down and made Bonnie sit up in bed before she handed her the cake. For a while the Bennetts just sat there eating but then Bonnie started to talk.

"We had a fight yesterday. We both said some things that were rather unfair. I know that I shouldn't be so upset about all this, but it was kind of out first fight as a couple and I don't know how to deal with this now."

"What was it about?"

"Mostly Kai's current condition. I told him that I thought he was running away from his feelings. I know that it was kind of a bad timing to tell him that, but it came up and it just turned into this fight and then I said something that he might have misunderstood and then he said that he didn't need my unqualified help." Bonnie stuffed some cake into her mouth. "I mean, what if he is right? What if I am overreacting and worrying too much? Maybe I am misinterpreting his behavior and I am frustrating him?"

"Okay, now you are totally over-interpreting things." Abby said in an understanding way. "The situation that you two are in is kind of unique. I can't say I ever came across something like this before, so I can't say my advice will be in any way helpful, but you two are so young. And furthermore you still have to figure out how you are going to function as a couple and not only as friends. And if that wasn't enough, you are at the start of your relationship with this huge emotional obstacle that is his mother's death looming over you. At this point in your relationship, you should be annoyingly happy but that's not possible because you need to make sure that he is okay. So, no you are not overreacting when you're worrying about him. Didn't Jo say something similar to you? That she was worried about him? If two people are witnessing the same critical behavior with a person they care about, that's more than suspicious. But that is a delicate matter and maybe you should have waited for a better moment to confront him about it."

"I know." Bonnie groaned.

Another silence spread through the room where both women finished their cake.

"What am I supposed to do now, mom?" Bonnie asked after a while.

"First you have to sort your emotions. Are you mad at him or hurt? Are you okay and think that you should take the first step and apologize? With these decisions I can't help you, those answers you're only going to find within yourself. After that you should figure out the best way to help Kai deal with this and that you can only do by talking to him and hearing his point of view. People grief in a different way, Bonnie, always remember that."

Bonnie nodded and Abby placed a kiss on her head before she got up and left the room with the plates in hand. Bonnie felt a little better now that she talked about it with her mother. The next decision she made was that she wasn't going to let a boy get her down like this for no reason. She was still kinda angry. But that was no excuse to spend an entire day in bed, whining. She was going to get up and get ready for the rest of the day.

With newfound enthusiasm she went to the bathroom and took a shower. After that she went downstairs and spent some time with her mother and Jeffrey in the garden. Later that day she called Caroline to get an update on her life in Mystic Falls and went to see Faye, who apparently got really drunk last night and needed a little hangover-care that Bonnie provided in form of chocolate cake and aspirins. All that she did without once thinking about Kai and it felt good.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Of course her illusion bubble wouldn't last the entire day. After she had eaten dinner with her mom and Jeffrey, she went back into her room to take a look at some school stuff for tomorrow. When she looked at her phone to see what time it was, she realized that Kai hadn't tried to reach out for her all day and all of a sudden the bad feeling from this morning had returned.

There was no way she would get anything done tonight, so Bonnie went back into her bed and started to watch old episodes of The Bachelor while eating more chocolate cake. The show was depressing though. All the fake emotionality and the unrealistic fact that really every freaking contestant was into a guy that was pretty unlikable to her. And his fake way of pretending that the choices he makes are so hard because he cares about all of them, blah blah blah- such bullshit. Bonnie actually hated this show, it was representing everything Bonnie stood against, but right now it was the only thing she could turn her mind to.

In the middle of the second episode, and the third piece of cake, Bonnie heard a knock on the door. Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Mom, I told you I was studying and I don't want to be interrupted." Bonnie yelled without taking her gaze away from the screen. She didn't even hear the door being opened and thus was scared by the male voice that addressed her a second later.

"Doesn't seem like your studying to me."

Her head flung to the side and she spotted Kai standing in the middle of her room, his gaze turned to her, his expression unreadable.

Kai gestured over his shoulder with his hand. "Your mom let me in."

Bonnie turned her head away from him again and turned off the TV, but she didn't return her gaze to him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was watching the wall behind her TV, waiting for him to tell her what he was here for.

Kai took a few insecure steps in her direction, but when she showed him no sign of attention he stopped, still a few feet away from her. "I… I wanted to apologize." Kai stammered.

"What for exactly?" Bonnie said harshly, without turning her gaze away from the wall.

"For being a dick basically."

Now, Bonnie did turn her head to look at him, her face hard. He was looking down on the floor, the part of his face that was visible to Bonnie looked sorrowful and when he lifted his gaze to hers, she could clearly see that he was genuinely sorry. Bonnie's gaze stayed hard though. She didn't want to give in too fast. Kai stepped closer until he reached her bed and slowly sat down on its edge, right in front of her, gaze lowered.

"I'm sorry for how I behaved yesterday, the entire day actually. And I'm sorry about what I said to you last night. I know it was too harsh and I didn't mean it, I was just- angry. I know that's no reason to lash out on you like that and I know I should have just listened to you- especially when you were right."

With the last part of his apology he looked up to her and Bonnie straightened in her seat. She watched him with wary eyes, not saying anything but waiting for him to continue down the road he had taken.

When he did, his voice was shaky. "You're right, I am not really dealing with her death. I'm running away from everything about it, because I- I don't know how I am supposed to handle these feelings. I'm scared that when I let them in- they will consume me. It's just-" Tears started filing his eyes, something Bonnie hadn't seen until this very moment. He had always kept it together in front of her and the very fact that he was on the verge of crying, finally letting the feelings in, made Bonnie break out of her hard exterior and lean forward to pull him into her arms.

Kai instantly wrapped his arms around her too and buried his face into the crook of her neck. "It hurts so much, Bonnie." He mumbled into her skin.

Bonnie's heart broke for the gazillionth time for him. His cracked up voice and him desperately holding onto her, made her fight back her own tears. "I know." Bonnie whispered and patted his back tenderly, while his body was shaking lightly from another wave of tears.

"I'm so sorry. Please, don't be mad at me." Kai almost begged, sounding the most vulnerable she has ever witnessed.

"Shhh, it's okay. Everything's okay." Bonnie tried to comfort him. "I'm not mad."

A heavy sigh escaped his throat. He kept on apologizing and Bonnie kept on reassuring him that it was okay. After a while she gently cupped both sides of his face and pulled his face up so that he could look at her. The grey-blue eyes that, for weeks now, had lacked any trace of emotion, were now filled with pain and sorrow. The tears had stopped pooling but she could clearly see the traces of them on his face now. With emphasis and empathy she looked him deep in the eyes and started her little speech.

"Listen to me, I am not mad at you, okay? We should have handled this situation better but now we talked about it and it is okay. I just need you to promise me something." Kai watched her intensely and so Bonnie continued. "You need to let me in. I want to help you, I do, but there is no way for me to do that, if you keep pushing me out. I'm not only talking about showing me how you feel but rather that you tell me! Tell me what you feel, what you need because this situation is something neither of us has ever experienced and I need you to talk to me."

He sniffed once and swallowed. "I promise." Kai said in a nasal voice.

Bonnie smiled warmly at him and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on his lips. After that she lay back down on the mattress, lifting her blanket so he could cuddle underneath it. "Come here." She opened her arms and Kai slowly snuggled under the blanket and placed his head on her chest. Like a routine that they had started a few weeks ago, Bonnie's fingers stroked through his thick hair and Kai wrapped his arms around her body. They lay in total silence for a long time.

"Did you know that mom talked about you?" Kai's voice suddenly cut through the silence. He didn't lift his head to look at her but kept his gaze stuck on the wall.

"Me? When?" Bonnie stopped her movements and looked down on him.

"At the hospital. When I was visiting her for the last time." Kai explained. "She was talking about how she always thought that we would make a great couple and she resigned on the possibility of us ever becoming a thing."

"Wait? That was before we officially got together."

"Yeah, it was during those time's where we didn't have a name for it yet." Kai snuggled further into her chest.

"Then what did you tell her?" Bonnie was curious now.

"Well, I told her that maybe she wasn't too far off after all. She nearly didn't believe me." Kai smiled from the memory. "I just thought that she should know. After all, at that point I already knew where I wanted us to end up." Kai lifted his head, caged Bonnie's body in and leaned onto his forearm. "She really liked you."The pain in his eyes was replaced with something else, something caring. Bonnie's heart jumped from the way he looked at her and the things he just said. It was not only what he said but also the fact that he was opening up to her about something that happened the night his mother died. It was a step in the right direction and that he trusted her enough to tell her this made her feel even stronger for him.

Bonnie reached out her hand and caressed his cheek. Kai enjoyed her touch and leaned into it. Suddenly he withdrew and his expression changed into worry. "Bon, did you really mean it when you said I didn't feel anything?"

Bonnie inhaled. There it was. The thing that had sealed their discussion yesterday. The fact that it seemed like she had questioned his feelings for her. She had known the second she had said it that that it had been a mistake. Now Kai was watching her intensely, waiting for an answer and hoping for it to be the right one.

"No, Kai, I didn't. I was enraged and I didn't think about what I said. I'm sorry." Bonnie apologized.

"Good, because I can't have you think that. I need you to know that I _do_ feel. Everything I felt the last few weeks was about you, it was the only thing I let myself feel and I need you to tell me that you know that." Kai sounded desperate.

"I know, I really do." Bonnie once more reached out to cup his face, this time he didn't draw back.

"I need you, Bonnie. I fucking need you." Kai whispered while closing his eyes.

Again, Bonnie's heart did ridiculous things. "And I need you." She stated, completely honest.

Kai leaned down to her and kissed her passionately. The familiar tinkling in her stomach that always emerged when he was touching her returned on cue. Her heartbeat was taken to the next level and she returned the kiss with equal intensity. Kai parted her lips which made another familiar feeling rise somewhere in her lower parts. Over the past few weeks she had only felt the burning desire a few times, because the atmosphere was basically flooded with grief and sorrow. There hadn't been many moments where the two had just been by themselves and embracing their feelings for each other. The few times where they had little moments of togetherness, Bonnie forced those feelings back because she felt like it wasn't the right time. Now again, her desire for Kai was awoken and for the first time, she wished -for selfish reasons- that all the bad things didn't happen so she could be happy with her boyfriend. Of course she pushed those thoughts aside as quickly as they came up, along with her desire. Even thought they hadn't been with each other since the day before her dad's birthday, she knew that when the time came and the situation would be easier, they would get back to it. Bonnie wasn't that egoistic to force anything that just needed a little bit longer. Plus, she really enjoyed the intense kiss they shared right now. Her emotional connection to Kai was more important anyways.

Kai slowed down the movement of his lips and they paused their kiss, both breathing heavily. Kai's face stayed close to hers and he ran his nose across her cheekbone. Bonnie had to close her eyes when he left a few sweet pecks on her cheek. Slowly, the warmth of Kai's face disappeared. Her eyes were kept close as if she could keep him close this way. Only when he silently called her name, she reopened them to look at him.

"Bon?"

"Yeah?" She locked eyes with him and there was something serious reflecting in his. Bonnie wondered what it was that made him tense up. It took him a while to reply anything and while he was looking at her his expression changed from serious to soft.

"Will you sleep with me tonight?"

For a second Bonnie's eyes widened for the tiniest bit, he probably didn't even notice. He had never asked her this, but with everything that was going on and their fight last night, he was probably unsure whether she was even willing to go further than a kiss. At once all the heat returned to her lower body and she had to fight hard to not let her libido take over and pull him down to her to kiss him fiercely. Her doubts about whether they should be having sex tonight from earlier reemerged but knowing that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him made it hard for her to think clearly. In the end, her rationality didn't stand a chance against her passion. She lifted her head and softly pressed her lips to his.

"Yes." She whispered against his lips and then pulled him down with her, intensifying the kiss. Like he had needed her permission his hands only now started to roam over her body and underneath her shirt, all while kissing her passionately. Longer than usual they only made out and explored their still clothes bodies with their hands until Bonnie made the first move and pulled his shirt over his head, letting it drop to the floor. She was careful though because she remembered the bruise Kai had on his rips from last night. Examining it very carefully Bonnie registered that it was even darker then when she saw it last night. Very carefully she let her fingertips run over it and when Kai didn't flinch and reassured her that he was feeling okay, Bonnie returned her attention back to his face.

Slowly, every other piece of closing followed. There was not much foreplay other than the slow torture of undressing, kissing and caressing the other's skin. Everything felt different this time. Bonnie had no doubt of Kai's want for her and their innocent approach didn't even lessen the passion of the moment, but of course it wasn't going to be the wild and careless sex that they had before and that was more than okay.

It was their first time as a couple and the importance of that was clearly noticeable. The way they were worshiping each other, caressing every single part of their bodies was taking their relationship to a whole new level. Now that they had sex, it seemed like they have finally made their relationship permanent. The last barrier had been broken, even though it had been broken way before they were even close to getting serious, but now there was no going back, at least not without repercussions.

Bonnie's heart hammered wildly against her chest, partly from the feelings that spread through her body when Kai finally entered her folds, and partly because of the feelings she had for him in general. They both panted in each other's ear, then they reunited their hungry mouths and devoured each other. Their measured movements were slowly taking Bonnie higher and higher. The need to give herself over to him completely arose within Bonnie and she just wanted to be even closer to him. Kai held on to her the entire time, pulling her tightly against his chest. It was only then that Bonnie realized that this was just the thing he had needed right now. All the doubt and the remorse she would have definitely felt after their love-making vanished and Bonnie could finally let loose.

Her climax was intense. All Bonnie could hear was her own panting and moaning as she got her release. Kai followed just seconds after and slowly sank down onto her. There was not a moment for Bonnie to catch her breath because Kai was already kissing her again, not fiercely and demanding but tenderly. Still, the kiss took the last of Bonnie's breath away.

"I really am sorry." Kai whispered against her lips.

Bonnie shook her head. "Stop it already. I told you it was okay." Before he could reply anything Bonnie kissed him again. He was taken by surprise and thus Bonnie used her chance and rolled them around so that she was now lying on top of him. "You already apologized and we were both responsible for that fight, so leave it be, okay?"

"Okay."

Bonnie smiled and lifted her hands to cup his face before kissing him again. She felt his arms wrapped around her waist and pull her closer to him. It seemed like an almost perfect moment, if one would ignore the dooming cloud of grief hanging over them but it was the first time in weeks where it had only been about them. A moment of togetherness and intimacy and Bonnie was longing for more of them.

They rested like this for a moment longer, Kai caressing Bonnie's bare back until she began to shiver. Even though the blanket wrapped around them and Kai's body heat should be more than enough, she couldn't stop her body to freeze and that was when he suggested putting their clothes back on. Bonnie let herself get talked into that but was very quick to draw Kai back into bed before he could have another great idea and decided to leave. She didn't want him to leave tonight.

Without any real reluctance Kai let himself get pulled back into bed and rested beside Bonnie. They were watching each other without talking. It was really cliché but the butterflies in her stomach made it impossible for her to mind.

"Will you stay over tonight?" Bonnie finally asked after they had stopped kissing once more.

"I don't know, Bon. Maybe it would be better if I went home tonight. I still want to go back to school tomorrow and I don't have any stuff with me-" Kai said to convince her- and maybe himself a little too.

"Okay, I get it." Bonnie said sadly, because she really didn't want to be alone tonight and defeatedly looked away from him.

"Maybe-" His voice reached her ear and there was something in his tone that made her hopeful. She looked back into his eyes. "-if we could make a quick stop at my place so I can pick up some stuff and get a change of clothes, than I could stay."

"Really?" Bonnie didn't want to sound this euphoric because she didn't want him to feel obligated to stay. If he felt more comfortable sleeping at home tonight Bonnie would totally understand, but the prospect of having him by her side the entire night, the night before he made a big step back into normality, was taking her over.

"Yeah, I think that'll work." He once more assured her and Bonnie's smile grew.

She wanted to hug him enthusiastically but hesitated because she remembered that she needed to make sure this is really what he wanted and needed. "But if you feel more comfortable sleeping at home, please do, I don't want to push you to do anything you don't want to do."

Kai raised his eyebrows. He looked like the Kai she knew for the first time in weeks. "Bon, I'm usually not someone that let's himself get talked into something. Besides, I'd rather not be alone anyways."

"Me neither." Bonnie said while stroking Kai's cheek. He smiled at her and with a little imagination one would think that he was doing okay, which was actually progress.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Alright, let's go." Kai said while he was stepping down the stairs. Bonnie and Kai had made a quick stop at his home so he could get his stuff. Bonnie had waited downstairs with Jo who she had invited to catch a ride to school with them.

The two girls looked up to him and Bonnie for once was surprised at how okay Kai looked. Not the exterior of course, because that boy always looked dashing, but more like his whole aura. Bonnie knew that he must have been hiding at least a little bit of his worries but she would give him that much at least. She didn't need him to be completely honest about his feelings 24/7 with everyone, most of the people in school had no business knowing how he felt, but as long as he would only do it with strangers and not her and the people that loved him everything would be fine.

The three friends headed to the door but were called back by Dawn Abbott. "Wait kids."

They all stopped while Dawn headed to them with something in her hand. "There you go, can't have you starve in school."

She put a lunchbox full of food in Jo's and Kai's hand and then turned to Bonnie and gave her one as well. Bonnie was delighted by the sweet gesture and thanked Dawn gushingly while Jo and Kai only exchanged confused looks.

"Um, gran you don't have to pack lunchboxes for us." Jo hesitantly said.

"Yeah, we're old enough to make our own food, also we're eating at school, so thanks but you don't have to do this." Kai added. They both tried to sound as polite as possible because they didn't want to hurt their grandmother but Dawn's expression darkened nonetheless.

"You thankless kids should follow dear Bonnie's example and just accept it. I know that you are old enough to make your own food but I am your grandmother and if I want to spoil you a little bit you should let me do it. So pack your lunch and get going or otherwise you will be late for school." She turned around and left the three alone.

Kai and Jo seemed a little puzzled but Jo shrugged and put the lunchbox in her bag heading outside. Soon after Kai did the same and turned around to Bonnie who was busy biting back a grin. He glared at her. "What is it you find so funny about this?"

"Nothing, it's just good to see that there is someone in your family that has you under control." She answered while turning around and getting out on the porch. She could feel his glare in her back but she didn't mind.

Kai caught up with her in a few seconds and 'accidentally' bumped into her. Bonnie had to grin because it seemed like Kai was getting his old wits back.

The drive to school only lasted a few minutes and even if they would have spent more time at the Parker's they wouldn't have been late. Still Jo thanked Kai for the ride and rushed outside due to some student-meeting she had to prepare. They still had a few minutes before school would start but Bonnie already turned to the door and wanted to open it to step into the sun. It was a nice day but the September sun wasn't as strong as it used to be so she had to wear coats now. When she wanted to slam the door shut she saw that Kai was still sitting behind the wheel, his gaze stuck on something in the far. Bonnie climbed back into the car and softly touched his arm.

"Hey."

Kai stirred and looked at her, seeming like she had woken him up from a dream. "You know you don't have to go to school today. You can still go home and try tomorrow or next week-" Bonnie tried to comfort him and cupped his face.

Kai smiled but shook his head. "No, I'm okay."

"Really?" Bonnie asked with concern in her voice.

"No." Kai looked down to his lap. "But it won't be any better next week or the week after that. I just want to get this over with."

"Okay. I'll be here the entire day, so when you need anything just say so, I'll help you." Bonnie said and smiled at him.

He grinned back at her, a hint of mischief in it. "There is something you could do for me."

"Yeah? What is it?" she was curious because she didn't really know if he was being serious right now or if he would tease her.

"Kiss me, please."

Now Bonnie was gleaming at him. "Oh, _that_ I can do." They both leaned forward and shared a long kiss. It was almost painful to stop but if they continued they would most definitely be late and though Kai couldn't care less, Bonnie was sure, it would not be helping any of his anxiety about what lay in front of him. He had to get through this day and he had to do it from the start till the end. So reluctantly Bonnie pulled away after slipping in another quick kiss. She smiled and exhaled.

"Come on, let's get this over with."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The first half of the day went by pretty well, or at least that was what Kai claimed. They had the first period together but after that Bonnie had to head to the gym and Kai had to outlast an hour of literature. They met up in the canteen again where he told her that everything went smooth just like the lesson before that. Kai only claimed that it was exhausting to hear all those condolences form people he didn't know or he didn't like. All the teachers had asked him to stay a minute longer so they could make sure he was okay and to offer him way to catch up with all the stuff he had missed even though they knew he would never do any of it. Maybe some of them hoped that after this tragedy he would change his ways. Even teachers had to have dreams.

As they were waiting in line for the meal of the day (which seemed to be something fried from the smell of it) Bonnie looked around the hall but didn't see any of her friends, which reminded her of something she hadn't told Kai about yet.

"Hey, listen. If you run into Connor at any given time, don't be surprised, he's kinda been a dick and I don't know if he sees it the same way or not." Bonnie tried to be as vague as possible because she wasn't comfortable repeating what Connor had said to her the other day.

"I guess he does." Kai replied and when Bonnie kept looking at him in question he elaborated. "I mean, I guess he does. It would explain why he was so nice to me at the party on Saturday. I didn't get why but thought that maybe he heart what happened and wanted to play nice."

"What did he do?"

"Not much, he kinda tried to hug me or something and then he talked about you and how you're such a good friend. I thought he was being a little noisy but I guess it was his way of making it up to me, even though I didn't even know that something happened. What did he do though?"

"He was just very insensitive but he didn't know any better. Still, I haven't heart an apology from him yet and until then I will keep being mad at him."

Kai scoffed. "Bon, come on. He's your friend. I always say mean things and you're not mad at me for it. Don't be so hard on him."

"I think I can decide for myself who I am mad at and who not, thank you." Bonnie playfully bumped into Kai's side. "By the way since when are you his knight in shining armor, I thought you two couldn't stand each other."

Kai shrugged. "Never said I couldn't stand him, he just can't stand me for obvious reasons."

"Which are?"

Kai shot her a glance that could be interpreted as 'really?' and when she still demanded an answer Kai snickered. "Bon, he doesn't like _me_ because he is into _you_."

"Oh, come on that is old news. We've only been on one date. He's gotten over it by now." Bonnie rejected his comment.

"Did he?" He simply offered. Bonnie looked at him until she realized he was serious. Kai thought that Connor still had a thing for her and that was the reason he disliked him in the first place. Kai still looked amused and not the slightest bit alarmed by his observation, which was a little odd since they were talking about a guy that was into _her_ , his girlfriend. Him taking this fact like there was nothing bothering him was a little bit unimaginable, given the irrational reaction he had back when he found out that Bonnie would go on a date with Connor.

"You don't seem the slightest bit bothered by this." Bonnie stated.

"Do I have to be?" He bluntly asked back, his interest peeked just the slightest bit.

Now it was Bonnie's turn to be amused by the situation. He was pretty sure that he had nothing to fear from Connor's apparent feelings for her, so much was obvious, but just the tiny hint of jealousy that he had shown right now challenged Bonnie, so she stayed mum. Kai tilted his head and raised his eyebrows in question and it was so hard for Bonnie not to break into a fit of laughter and soon after she couldn't withhold it any longer. She was breaking out in a high pitched laugh and grabbed his arm. He only shook his head and suppressed a smile before he turned away from her.

"Hey, don't be mad. I was just kidding. Of course you don't have anything to worry about." Bonnie tried to reason but the laughter was still audible in her voice.

Kai turned back to her, now holding his empty tray. "I know." His expression was smug and for a moment he looked exactly like she remembered him. A little too self-confident for his own good, teasing, provoking and overall extremely attractive. Bonnie mouth dried a little when she saw him like this and when she remembered that this incredible boy in front of her was hers, her heart felt so much more heavy.

"Don't be too full of yourself, okay?" Bonnie grabbed a tray and queue-jumped in front of him so that he wouldn't see her reaction to him and feel even more assured. Bonnie held out her tray for the cafeteria-employee to give her her fill of today's food and she screwed up her nose by the unidentifiable thing that was now on her plate. Inspecting her plate intensely she walked slowly out of the line until Kai reached up to her.

"I swear, the food is getting worse." Bonnie stated.

"The food was never good to begin with." Kai retorted and they headed for an isolated table in the back. Since none of the others had shown their faces yet the table in the back seemed as good as any other and Bonnie was a little glad that she could have some alone time with Kai, maybe talking about his day so far or just enjoy each other's company.

When they sat down Bonnie started digging into her food. Even though it looked disgusting she was really hungry and it wasn't that bad.

"You really have no restrains, have you?" Kai watched her shoving forkful after forkful into her mouth, while his food was resting untouched on his plate.

"You should mwelly try it, itsh mwelly not that bat." Bonnie replied with a full mouth and Kai only looked shaking his head and pushing his tray to the side to make sure that he wasn't going to try any of it.

"I think I'll pass. I have a higher standard for food than this."

"I'll tell you what, I'll stop eating this and we're going to grab something better to eat on our way home, what do you say?" Bonnie suggested with a bright smile. Contrary to her beliefs this first day at school had done wonders for Kai and she was positive that even more normality would only be adding to his current state. What other thing would be more normal then a boyfriend and his girlfriend getting out to eat something?

"You know you're adorable?" Kai leaned forward and looked at her with an adoring smile.

"Is that a yes?" Bonnie mirrored his movement and they were now only a few inches apart. So she could actually feel his breath when he audibly exhaled and leaned back into his chair.

"I- I don't know. I mean, it's not a no, but- I don't know." Kai tried to explain himself but was out of words so he looked down on the hands in his lap. Bonnie didn't need any more explanation though. He hadn't recovered his appetite yet and when Kai Parker refused to eat- something was wrong. Her happiness about the positive outcome of this day was reduced now that she got a view into his real state. Maybe she had been pushing it and going out for food was still too early for him.

Bonnie smiled an understanding smile and touched his hands that were still folded in his lap. "Maybe we could order something, like pizza and then you can eat it whenever you're hungry."

Kai was thankful for Bonnie's suggestion- she could see in his relaxing expression. "You know, I'd do almost anything only so you stop eating this horrible stuff."

Bonnie smiled and dropped her fork dramatically and with Kai's slight smile, they had settled for ordering food later.

In the far Bonnie watched a bunch of students come in late. She spotted Faye and Liza but they didn't seem to notice them because they headed straight for the queue. A few moments later Jo entered the cafeteria, clearly searching for someone. When Bonnie's and Jo's gazes met Jo's face lit up and she started walking their way. When she passed the last table and was only a few feet away from them she slipped and flailed her arms around so she would regain her poise but gravity finally won over her and she hit the ground hard, bottom first, right in front of their table.

A short snort escaped Kai before he quickly put his hand over his mouth to keep any sound from coming out of it. Bonnie instead jumped up and made sure Jo was alright. "Oh, gosh are you okay, Jo?"

Bonnie helped her up and Jo brushed the invisible dirt off her clothes. "Yeah, everything okay. Wow, that was embarrassing." Jo said while Bonnie said back down. Jo stayed put while she continued to speak. "Guess I should pay more attention to where I am going. I don't even know what tripped me, there's nothing here maybe- ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME?" Jo cut herself short by yelling in Kai's face.

"No." Kai mumbled with his hand still covering his mouth. Jo watched him opened mouthed and Bonnie could witness the corner of Kai's mouth twitch until he finally couldn't hold his laughter in any longer.

He burst out laughing and Jo only glared at him. It was kind of rude that he would laugh at his sister's misery and Jo's reaction was totally appropriate. But still Bonnie's gaze was stuck on Kai's laughing face. The tone of his laughter was so pure and so honest that it sent a wave of feelings through her. She only now realized how much she had missed his laughter, because this was the first time since his mother's death that he actually did laugh. Bonnie's adoring look shifted to Jo and their gazes locked.

Jo's angry expression was suddenly replaced by relieve. She too was glad to see her brother being honestly amused by something, even though it was her own clumsiness. Jo suppressed a smile because she tried to pretend to be mad at Kai but his laughter was intoxicating and suddenly Jo was laughing along with her brother.

While the siblings laughed Bonnie's smiled grew wider. This situation was just so normal, so ordinary and she loved it. Maybe Kai would find his way back into life sooner rather than later. His face was now buried in his arms on the table and Jo was lying back in her chair, gasping for air between laughs.

Kai looked up at his twin. "You should have seen your face." He wiped away some tears of joy and Jo started to giggle again. It seemed like Kai had pulled himself together but he was still brightly smiling at Jo who was trying to do the same. To Bonnie it felt like she was watching this scene as a bystander. She was so into her observations of the two siblings that it felt like something hit her when Kai turned around and looked at her.

His eyes were bright and full of joy, his smile was stunning and the slight change in his eyes when he focused on her- the adoration- caught Bonnie off guard. No sound was reaching her ears as she blankly stared at her boyfriend. His lips were moving but Bonnie couldn't understand because she was completely lost in his features. Lucky for her it was nothing directed directly to her because Jo answered, or so Bonnie assumed, because Kai's head swung back in her direction.

Bonnie suddenly shook her head and got the paralysis out of her system only to be greeted by Kai's deep chuckle. Bonnie blinked rapidly, trying to deal with the realization that had just hit her with force. In that moment Kai looked at her and his expression turned worried.

"Are you okay, Bon?" he reached over to take her hand into his.

Bonnie smiled. "Sure, I'm fine." She said and meant it with every fiber of her being. Actually, she was more than that. She was feeling incredible- indescribable. The moment she had heard Kai's laugh and saw him being happy, her heart had missed a beat and she had realized something. This guy's happiness, his well-being and content was everything to her. _He_ was everything to her. Everything about him was amazing and Bonnie felt like she was floating. The butterflies in her stomach that usually appeared when he looked at her had reached the limits of her chest and had burst out of her with an intensity she hadn't expected.

She had never felt this way before. She had always thought that she knew what love felt like, that she had been in love with Jeremy, but when she compared her feelings for him to what she was feeling right now for Kai-

For weeks now, Bonnie had suspected that her feelings for Kai had grown stronger and right now she had never felt more for him. It was like all these month tiptoeing around each other and even before that- those years of silent adoration form her side- had finally pushed her over the edge and made her irreversibly and unconditionally attached to him.

Kai had resumed his conversation with Jo and it seemed like they didn't even notice the way Bonnie watched them- or rather him. She wanted to reach out and kiss him with everything she got but she settled for gazing at him- at the boy she was in love with.

 **Author's note: Happy belated Bonkai-Day everyone (May 10** **th** **).**


	47. Chapter Forty-Seven: To Keep A Promise

Chapter Forty- Seven: To Keep A Promise

"Bonnie and Kai are sitting on a tree"

"Oh, come on."

" G. Hahahaha, you should see your face, Bonnie." Caroline laughed through the camera of her laptop and Bonnie only rolled her eyes at her best friend on the other end that happened to think that today, after weeks of telling her about her and Kai, making fun of her was a good idea. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she had finally admitted to someone that her not so harmless admiration of Kai had grown into full grown love. After carrying it around with herself for a little more than a week now, she had finally crumbled under Caroline's intense interrogation.

It had actually been liberating to get this out. All the times she had been secretly gazing at him without him noticing her heart would swell and she would feel like her chest was going to explode. But of course she couldn't tell him how she felt, at least not yet. It's only been a few weeks after his mother's death and the start of their relationship. No sane person would tell the other the three major words within the first few weeks, especially when they knew that the beloved was known for having some troubles with these kind of emotions. She would only end up scaring him off.

Now that Caroline knew, she could at least talk to someone about it. That means, if she ever stopped laughing.

"Are you done?" Bonnie asked in mock-annoyance.

"Just a second." Caroline breathed in heavily and placed one hand dramatically on her chest. "Alright, now I'm good."

"Wanna tell me what was so funny about my feelings for Kai?" Bonnie asked and looked a little more serious then she intended to.

Caroline sighed. "Sorry, I wasn't laughing at your feelings, I was just thinking about all those times you used to swoon over him when you were in middle school and how often you have already told me that you loved him. All those times before I never really thought that one day you might _actually_ feel this for him for real."

"Are you mocking my thirteen-years-old-self's feelings?" Bonnie joked and Caroline snickered.

"I wouldn't dare. But I have to admit I'm a little proud of myself."

"Proud of yourself? How?"

"For calling it from the beginning. I mean, the real beginning, not the beginning of your imaginary relationship years ago. When you started hanging out and became friends. I knew it. I mean even when you were still with Jeremy, I just knew that there was something about you two and then I saw you together when we visited you in Portland and you told me that you kissed him and then it was as crystal clear to me as it could get."

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked dumbly.

"That you guys would end up together sooner rather than later." Caroline yelled in excitement.

"Caroline-!"

"No really, I mean it. You two are perfect for each other. I know I don't know him as good as I knew Jeremy but I can already tell that this is a better match."

"Care, as much as it flatters me to hear that, you make it sound like my relationship with Kai is everything but complicated. You're forgetting that he is somewhat backward on the emotional development."

Caroline shook her head. "Does it matter? You still love him, right?"

Bonnie looked down on her lap, biting back a grin. "Yeah." She admitted.

"So? Let him be a lunatic when it comes to emotions but he was the one that made the first move to label your relationship. Also, even after everything that happened in the past weeks he is still with you and the way that you are describing it, he is not exactly having a bad time with you, ergo he likes you in a special way. Also, he chose you to be his first serious relationship. Adding that all up: not too backward on the emotional development if you ask me."

Caroline's words made Bonnie think. She was right, the time they had spend together as a couple had been rocky but since the day they talked about being more open it seemed to be getting better and better. Step by step Kai seemed to be getting back on track and it seemed that Bonnie had played a huge part in that. Slowly he was becoming the Kai she knew and loved again and he didn't seem to be backing down from anything relating their relationship status. On the contrary, it seemed like they have never been more connected then right now. Of course there were still times were he was gloomy but more often he seemed okay, sometimes even happy. Those times, Bonnie noticed, always seemed to be when she was involved. Like when she had talked him into watching Beauty and the Beast with her. He was reluctant to say yes because he said he hated the movie but for Bonnie's sake he said yes and Bonnie will forever regret watching the film with him because he wouldn't keep his commentary to himself. He destroyed some of the most iconic scenes of the movie with his remarks and by the time the end credits rolled over the screen he was even ranting a little bit. Bonnie would have been angry with him for destroying this movie experience for her but she couldn't because it seemed so ridiculous how he was raging over a children's movie. So she only looked at him and fought back a laugh. When he finally noticed that, he turned his rage playfully at her and started tickling Bonnie until she begged him to stop. After that he leaned down and kissed her, his eyes gleaming and a smile spread across his face.

Situations like these happened more often in the last week and Bonnie finally felt like the time for them to actually start enjoying their newfound relationship was about to begin. So Caroline's comment was accurate. Maybe Bonnie needed to stop worrying so much.

"Maybe you're right." She admitted after a while.

"Sure I am. Trust me. Hey listen, I know your grams is coming up to meet you soon and that that means that you won't be making a visit any time soon, but I miss you. I need to see you soon."

"I know I miss you too but I won't have time to visit you before November. I still have so much to do and Kai's birthday is coming up."

Caroline sighed. "I know, I know. But promise me that we at least get to see you on your own 18th birthday. There is no way we are not going to be together for each and every one of our 18th birthdays. We already managed Elena's and mine so I'm highly hoping you won't back out of yours."

Bonnie had to laugh. "Care, my birthday is still two month away. I have nothing planned yet and I guess I will only keep it simple, but I can promise you, you and Elena are going to be invited."

"Good to hear that. Well, let me know if you have a free weekend to squeeze me into before December rolls around, okay?"

"Will do, Caroline."

"Okay, I gotta go. I'm meeting Klaus for dinner. Love you, Bonnie."

"Love you too."

The call ended at Bonnie closed her laptop. Talking to Caroline had always made her feel better but today it had also reminded her of all the things she still needed to organize for Kai's and Jo's big day. They had both said that they didn't want to celebrate and given what they have been through Bonnie understood. But they were both doing pretty good and so Bonnie had decided to organize a little party. Because she wasn't sure if either of them would be mad at her for ignoring their wishes she had informed them about it a few days ago and they had both agreed, Kai more reluctantly then Jo.

Bonnie moved over to her desk where she was about to work on the list of things still to do when a few minutes later someone knocked on her door and didn't wait to get invited in.

"Hey Bonbon, you ready? O my god, you're not even dressed yet." Kai was standing in her room looking over her features with a shocked expression. Bonnie was confused and looked down on her grey sweatpants and black oversize hoody that was actually his. Her feet were covered in thick wool socks and her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. When she was done inspecting herself she looked over his features. He was dressed in his usual dark jeans, a beige button-up shirt that he combined with a leather jacket. His gaze was stuck on her, his eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Me?" Bonnie asked confused. Was there something she had missed or plans she had forgotten about?

Kai tsked as he made his way over to her. "Yeah, of course you. You agreed to this, so as long as you didn't change your mind, I suggest you get ready."

"Ready for what?" Bonnie asked. "What am I missing here?"

Kai tilted his head. "Don't tell me that you forgot. I mean, it's been a few month but something as important as this-" he watched her with fake-judgment and Bonnie knew that he was toying with her on purpose because he could barely contain his self-righteous grin. Kai sighed exaggeratedly like he was talking to some stupid kid that needed too much help. "Alright, let me jog your memory, love. You and me had this appointment for month now, I asked you and you said yes. Given, we never talked about a specific date and there were more than a couple things that happened in between but I didn't forget and tonight is the night-" he kneeled down to her and made a dramatic pause before revealing his plans. "-for our first date."

Bonnie let out a surprised laugh when the memory of Kai and her sitting by the lake right before they would have sex for the first time resurfaced. He had asked her out and she had said yes but it never came to that date due to him finding out about Bright and then their long road to recovery.

Bonnie felt like her face would break in half by the huge grin that was spreading there. "You remember that?"

"Of course I do." He said and kissed her briefly. "So, if you don't have any better plans for tonight-"

"I don't." Bonnie interrupted him and kissed him. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because of that exact reaction. And because I like to toy with you." He smiled cunningly at her.

"Are you at least telling me what I am dressing up for?" Bonnie rolled her eyes at him.

"No dressing up, just wear something casual, though if you decide to wear that short skirt I wouldn't mind." Kai laughed as Bonnie got up from her chair and pushed against his forehead so that he stumbled back on his ass.

Kai patiently waited for her to get ready. It didn't take too long since he said she didn't need to dress up. She chose to wear her new skinny jeans and a top with floral ornaments. Because of the chilly wind outside she decided to grab her leather jacket as well. When she turned to him she saw that he was watching her.

"You ready?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, but one more thing. I have a policy. I don't kiss on the first date."

Kai opened his mouth to respond but quickly shut it back up. She had actually managed to do something that he hadn't predicated and Bonnie mentally made a photo of his face, the way he was trying to figure out a way to find a loophole in her policy. All he came up with was. "Really?"

Bonnie laughed at his obvious dislike. "Yes, really. And I am not breaking that policy, not even for you." She started heading to the door but Kai kept sitting on her bed, pouting. Then suddenly he jumped to his feet came over to her and opened the door to her like the gentleman he usually wasn't.

"Alright, no kissing then." He said and gestured for her to step through the door.

"You know, I am serious about this." Bonnie looked at him skeptically, not buying his sudden change of opinion. Actually, she would have thought about rewording him with a little kiss at the end of the night but now that he seemed to accept her terms, that thought was overruled again.

"I heard you and I will stick to your rules. It's the least I can do for kidnapping you unannounced." He was leaning against the open door and smiled down at her. Bonnie still didn't buy this but she decided to let it go until the matter would pop back up, which she expected to happen some when during the night.

Bonnie headed through the door and down the stairs. "Are you going to tell me where we are going?" Bonnie asked while she put on her shoes.

"Nope, not yet. You'll see soon enough." Kai grinned and she was just the smallest bit frustrated with him but accepted the game.

When they were heading to his car he opened the passenger door for her and she got inside. A few seconds later he popped down behind the wheel and started fumbling with his phone until a catchy tune reached Bonnie's ear and she turned her head to look at him, bewildered.

"Really? Backstreet Boys?" she laughed as Brian Littrell sang the first verse of 'I want it that way'.

"I know you like them and I want this to be the perfect first date, there is much at stake here. Don't want you to be disappointed and not text me back tomorrow, you know." He winked at her and Bonnie laughed at this silly role play. They both knew she wasn't going to dump his ass when this date turned out to be shitty.

Kai started the engine and drove in the direction of the highway. Bonnie hummed along to the song until she couldn't hold it in any longer and sang at the top of her lungs. Kai only shook his head and smirked.

"You know, if you are being serious about this, we should get to know us and therefore you should know one thing about me: I don't like the Backstreet Boys, I LOVE THEM." Bonnie informed him, falling into her role of the girl who just met this handsome young man and is now heading to their first real rendezvous ever. This night was going to be fun.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After Kai had parked the car in the middle of nowhere in what seemed to be impromptu-parking lot they had to walk a little further to reach their destination. At least that was what Kai had said. That had been about 30 minutes ago and Bonnie still didn't have a clue on where they would be going. The sun had already set and they were now straying along a trail that was bounded by streetlamps along a calm lakeside. The dim light was just enough so that they could see the path in front of them and to touch the surrounding trees and hedges whose leaves started to turn yellow and red. All in all it was a beautiful scenery. They were talking about this and that and after a while Kai had reached for Bonnie's hand and hasn't let go of it since. There were suspicions rising in Bonnie's mind that they were not actually going anywhere but that this little walk along this lake was the entire date but Kai claimed that there was more to come. But even if there wasn't, Bonnie wouldn't have minded, because she enjoyed every minute of this walk with Kai and her policy of no kissing already felt hard to obtain, but she stayed strong.

When they turned around a corner, the bushes that had blocked their view gave way for a vivid and bright scenery in front of them and Bonnie's eyes suddenly started to sparkle.

"You're taking me to Oktoberfest?" she yelled in excitement. She had told him a few months ago that she had never been to Oktoberfest before and that she would really like to go one day. Kai only smiled at her when Bonnie rushed to get to the actual fairground. He let himself get dragged along.

Bonnie felt like a little kid when they walked around the fairground and discovered the different stalls and amusement rides. She couldn't decide what to do first. She had always loved fairs and it seemed like the German version of it took the cake. Because she was behaving so over the top, Kai decided that getting a pretzel was the best idea and after he had bought one for her Bonnie couldn't agree more. The pretzel tasted unbelievably good.

After that they went to the swing carousel and the mini-rollercoaster. Kai had to talk her into getting on the drop tower because she was too afraid to join him. He finally managed to get her to join him and she regretted her decision as soon as they were on their way up. When she finally arrived back on the ground- luckily with all her body functions still intact- she nearly dropped to the ground and promised herself never to do something like this again.

When Kai laughed at her she only punched him in the chest and made him join her in the Ferris wheel. She cuddled into his side, while he put his arm on the backrest, only touching her lightly, and watched the whole ground from above. When the wheel stopped when they were at the very top, Bonnie had to think of Elena and her little dream fantasy she used to talk about when she was younger. She wanted to get to the top of the Ferris wheel and kiss the boy she was into and she made it sound like the most romantic thing ever. Back then Bonnie didn't understand but now that she was at the top of the Ferris wheel, thousands of light shining below and the boy of her dreams right next to her, Bonnie could see the appeal and mentally slapped herself for putting up this dumb rule of no-kissing.

Kai turned his head so he was looking down on her and smiled. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Very." Bonnie beamed back at him and Kai reached out his other hand and stroked his thumb against her cheek. Bonnie closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, snuggling even closer to him and inhaled his scent. A moment later she felt a soft peck on her forehead and was about to remind him of her rule of no-kissing, which would include kisses on the forehead, but she liked the feeling of it too much so she decided to give him one free pass.

"You know I really hate this rule of yours." Kai's deep voice reached her ear.

Bonnie chuckled. "Well, I have to admit, I don't like it too much either."

"They why are we still holding on to it?"

"Because this is one of my principles, I will hold onto no matter what."

"Can I ask you a question?" Kai asked and his playful undertone was alarming her. She sat back up and turned to look right into his eyes that shimmered with mischief. "How many more first dates do you plan on having?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bonnie retorted confused.

"Well, this is a rule of yours for your first dates, right? But if you are serious about us then this should be the last first date for you in a loooooooong time, so I don't see the point in sticking to that rule if the only one that it will ever apply to is me. We already established that I'm no fan of the rule so I wouldn't mind abolishing it but you still hold on to it. So that leaves me wondering: Who are you planning on dating next?"

The next thing that came out of Kai's mouth was a muffled 'oomph' as Bonnie's fist collided with his stomach. After the initial shock was over Bonnie felt the vibrations of his chuckles through her body and turned to look at him with an angry expression.

"What's so funny, heh? You thinking that I keep this rule up for potential other dates I'm keeping in my back pocket? Or is it the fact that you don't trust me enough to think that I'm serious about this? Tell me what lightens your mood so much because I really can't see it right now." Bonnie ranted but Kai only laughed harder.

"This, right here. You thinking that I actually meant any of what I was saying before. I was teasing you, Bon. Haven't done that in a while and I wanted to see if I still could. Guess I have my answer now."

"Oh." Bonnie turned her head away from him, a little embarrassed, but mostly annoyed by him and herself that a few weeks of not having the playful side of Kai Parker come out would make her forget all about it and walk right into that trap. An even bigger part of her was happy though, because it was just one more indication that he was getting back into his old self. She bumped her shoulder into his site playfully and said. "Way to pick a topic to joke about, asshole."

"Oh, don't be mad Bonster. You know I would never question your devotion to me." Kai nuzzled his nose against her cheek and the gesture took Bonnie's last restrained away and she relaxed back into his site, enjoying the rest of the ride together.

After they got off the ride, Bonnie's stomach grumbled and they went to get something real to eat. Bonnie decided to try a Leberkäse roll and Kai took some Bratwurst. Now that Bonnie was stuffed she proposed on doing something calmer because Kai was already headed towards this ride with spinning seats. Bonnie was a little afraid she might not be able to keep the food down if they went in there just yet and so she convinced him to go to the photo booth first.

It was a tiny space and they only barely fitted in the booth together. Bonnie placed her legs over Kai's lap for more comfort and he grabbed them and squeezed them lightly.

Bonnie set the device and turned to the camera smiling in it. When the flash hit off and the countdown for the next photo went down Bonnie suddenly felt hands underneath her rips and right before the second photo got shot Kai tickled her rips by rapidly squeezing it. Bonnie let out a loud laugh and tried to jerk away from Kai's touch. She turned to him to shoot him a glare but he only put his cheek on her shoulder and laughed it off and that was when the third picture was taken.

Bonnie was about to suggest to do all of the photos again because she had been aiming for some nice pictures of them together as a reminder of this nice evening but Kai had ruined it with his usual shenanigans. Right before she could complain Kai turned his face so he could see her and the look on his face was making Bonnie forget everything she was about to say and smiled lightly at him. The hint of a smile was covering Kai's face as he was looking up to her with adoration in his eyes and that's when the forth picture was taken.

A sigh escaped Bonnie and she reached out to cup Kai's face. He leaned in and pressed their foreheads together- the closest Bonnie would allow him to go on this first date- and the last picture was taken.

The feeling of not wanting to leave the tiny space overcame Bonnie but she was also curious to see how the pictures turned out and so she climbed off Kai's lap and went outside to take a look. Kai followed her close by and stopped right behind her, looking over her shoulder when she took the photos out. The first one was the one that could be considered 'ordinary'. It showed them sitting next to each other and smiling into the camera but if you gave the picture a closer look you would see that Kai's eyes were shimmering with mischief and Bonnie knew that this photo captured the moment he decided to tickle her. The second photo was the moment Bonnie started to laugh and Kai looked at her with amusement. The third picture was when Kai had to calm down from his laughing and Bonnie was pouting into the camera. Funny as it was, Bonnie kind of liked the picture because it captured their relationship quite well. The last two pictured were Bonnie's favorites though. The forth photo was showing Kai looking up at her with this adoring look and Bonnie looked like she just saw a unicorn, the breath she had held form seeing him like this clearly visible in the shot. The last photo was incredibly sweet. Their foreheads pressed together and both their eyes closed with Bonnie's hand cupping Kai's face. It was an extreme intimate picture because anyone could see that they were so much more than friends.

Bonnie's smile grew wider and wider the longer she looked at the photos and she leaned back into Kai, who was still standing behind her.

"I love them." Bonnie stated and she felt the vibrations of Kai's laughter through her body.

"Even the one where you look like you want to kill me?" Kai chuckled.

"Yes, even that one."

Bonnie turned to look at Kai and when their gazes connected they both started to smile brightly. Kai took Bonnie's hand and softly dragged her into the direction of the roller coaster, after all Bonnie had promised him to ride at least once with him. She came to regret that promise fairly soon after she stepped off the ride and felt like her insides were about to reveal themselves to the world. After she finally found a bench to sit down on she had time to calm the nausea down. Her boyfriend went to get her a glass of water and took care of her like a gentleman but the constant smile that showed on his lips indicated that he was enjoying this situation way too much.

When Bonnie was better again she slapped him lightly but he only chuckled. The space started to clear out as the people started leaving. She gave him a quick glance and he understood that she too wanted to get going to spent a few more moments of precious time alone with him.

They were straying towards the exit when she said "I had a really nice time tonight. Thank you for this first date."

He smiled at her. "So you're telling me that there is a fair chance that I could take you out on a second date? "

"Hm, let me think about this real quick." Bonnie tapped her chin in an over exaggerated move and earned a bump into her side from him. Bonnie chuckled. "Yes, you are allowed to take me on another date. Are you relieved now?"

"Just happy that you enjoyed yourself. Aaaaand-"

Bonnie turned to look at him and right when they had crossed through the exit of the Oktoberfest Kai continued. "I need you to come with me."

"Come with you? To where?" Bonnie wanted to know as Kai stepped in front of her and took her hand walking backwards and dragging her along.

"You'll see." Kai stayed cryptic and kept dragging her away from the Oktoberfest and back to the car. He told her to stay and wait right in front of it while he got a bag out of the trunk and returned to her.

"What is this?" Bonnie tried to get some answers out of him but he stayed shady about what he wanted to do next. So she followed him up a hill until it seemed like they finally arrived at their destination.

A few people were scattered around a small space up the hill. It was a clearing, the high trees surrounding the meadow like a half-circle, giving away a perfect view of the Oktoberfest in the distance and the lake. Only now Bonnie realized how big the lake actually was because she couldn't see the ends of it even from her high standpoint. The lights of the carnival down there were reflected back from the dark water and the sky was clear of clouds giving this setting an extremely romantic touch. Turning around to ask Kai what they were doing up here she found him sitting on a blanket with snacks scattered all over it. This must have been in the bag he had gotten from the car right before they climbed up here.

Bonnie's eyes widened at the sweet gesture and she quickly settled down next to him.

"Now this is a nice surprise." Bonnie said while she dropped her head onto Kai's shoulder.

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet." Kai teased and lay flat on the blanket pulling Bonnie down with him, resting her head on his chest.

"There is more?" Bonnie asked as she turned her head so she could watch him.

"You just have to wait and see. Just turn your head to the sky." Kai pointed into the stars and Bonnie followed his outstretched arm while he started pointing out some star signs to her. "See this one is the Big Dipper and if you turn your head just over to the other side you can see the constellation of Gemini with the big stars Castor and Pollux right over there and then there is Cassiopeia right in the middle. See? The stars that are aligned like a zig-zag?"

"How do you know all of these constellations?" Bonnie asked with awe, impressed with his knowledge while she kept looking at the different star signs.

"It's the one thing my dad taught me, actually. When Jo and I were little dad used to take us out to go camping every once in a while. It's some sort of passion of his but mom would never allow us to go as a family because there was always a baby around and she said that she's not taking a newborn out into the wood where she didn't even have a clean place to change the baby's diaper and she was right. So dad only took me and Jo because we were old enough to use a toilet properly or maybe it was because mom forced him to take at least a little bit of pressure off her when he had to disappear into the wilderness and leave her alone with the kids. That scenario seems to be more likely. Anyway, we used to spend the evenings and nights outside with a telescope dad would bring along and he showed us all the constellations like Libra or Aquarius and the stuff I just showed you. I loved being under the stars. It was so quiet in comparison to home. No screaming, no running, just us three under the stars." Kai sighed when he finished his little trip down memory lane and Bonnie smiled at him, Kai only realizing that when he turned his head towards her a few moments later. "What?"

"Nothing." Bonnie quickly said. "I'm just really happy that you at least have a few happy memories of your dad. It sounded like you had a nice time."

Kai seemed to think about her comment before he answered her. "Yeah, I guess I did. I never thought about it that way but the times out in the nature were the only times dad and I would get along. I wouldn't go so far as to say that we were having a father-son bonding but we weren't at each others throats all the time and he did treat me like a kid and not his modeling clay to turn me into this compliant servant like he always did."

"How often did he take you there?"

"Just a few summers. At some point he just stopped going and Jo and I never asked why. Guess he got tired of spending some quality time with his children." Kai rolled his eyes to hide the hurt and disappointment Kai felt towards his dad but Bonnie knew him well enough to see it anyway. Kai never really talked about his relationship with his dad, let alone his feelings towards the man but Bonnie could imagine what Kai must be feeling towards the guy she came to know as a distant, strict and cold-hearted man.

Bonnie was about to say something when a light flashed across her vision and a sound of a small explosion in the sky made her turn her head to the sky. She could only see the firework fading away in the night sky but soon after a second rocket got launched and Bonnie quickly sat up and watched the fireworks play out right in front of her with wide eyes.

The wonderful play of colors and sparks had Bonnie's full attention. Being a big fan of events like this and fireworks in general she was fascinated by the show that was playing out in front of her, the added bonus of her surroundings and company making this one of the best moments in a while. She felt Kai sitting up next to her and she shot him a quick glance so she wouldn't miss anything.

"How did you know I loved fireworks?" Bonnie asked, still preoccupied with the pyrotechnic.

"Because I know you." Was Kai's simple answer near her ear. Bonnie turned her head and saw Kai's face being very close to hers, watching her instead of the show. Bonnie only smiled shyly at him and turned back to the exploding rockets when she heard him whisper in her ear.

"Kiss me."

Bonnie scoffed. "Kai, I told you no kissing during-"

"-the first date, yeah I got that but what you are missing is that we are not on out first date anymore."

Bonnie frowned and turned to look at him again. "Did I miss something?"

"Apparently." Kai chuckled and after a second elaborated. "Look, this right here, the picnic and the fireworks in this romantic spot is indeed our second date because if you would care to take a look at the time you would see that it's already way past midnight. Hence making this activity, which by the way is in no relation to the Oktoberfest down there- you can google it- separated from the one before and it even takes place on another day. Also, you agreed to go on a second date right AFTER we left the Oktoberfest." He cheerfully declared.

Bonnie stared at him with wide eyes. She found it hard to argue with any of his arguments because frankly he was right. This was a new day, this was an individual activity that had no relation what so ever to the visit to Oktoberfest except for their close proximity AND like he said she did agree on a second date. What she meant was some when in the near future and not right away but could she really deny him this one request since she really wanted to kiss him too?

"You planned all this, didn't you? Every little detail so you could find a loophole around my rule." Bonnie accused him and he chuckled.

"Well how could I when you only told me about the rule right before I wanted to take you out? But you are right, I did manage to use the circumstanced to my advantage. So, about that kiss-"

Bonnie felt Kai's body heat as he moved closer to her placing his left hand over her right one in her lap. His face was only inches away from her cheek and she could feel his breath on it. In a very low tone that went straight through her body right to her core he whispered her name and she suddenly turned her head and crashed her lips into his.

The sensation she felt as their lips finally connected was overwhelming. Her eyes were closed and she felt Kai's hand reach out to cup the side of her neck, drawing her in further. In the background the fireworks were still going off but right now nothing in the world would be able to get her attention but the boy softly kissing her into oblivion. It was one of the most romantic moments of her life and Bonnie wouldn't dare break it off first. Luckily for her, Kai was just as eager as her to keep the connection. The whole night not being able to kiss her had taking its toll on him as well.

Since she had already given in and allowed him this kiss, Bonnie thought to herself she could use this situation to her advantage. Slowly she let herself fall back onto the blanket, pulling Kai with her until her back hit the ground. She felt Kai's hand wander to her rips underneath her shirt and caressed the skin there while he kept kissing her passionately. There was no way of telling how long their make-out session lasted but once Bonnie started to shiver from the early-autumn wind Kai pulled away and looked down at her.

"You're cold." He stated.

"Not as cold that we need to stop this." Bonnie whispered seductively and pulled him down to her again. She felt his chuckle against her lips. This time the kiss was only half-hearted from his side, that was why he broke it off only seconds after it began and Bonnie knew that the fun was over.

"Seriously Bon, we should get going." Kai reasoned and Bonnie sighed.

"Just five more minutes." Bonnie begged like a little girl and tried to kiss him again but he pulled away. She stared at him with a pout and Kai laughed.

"Why is it that I have to be the reasonable one right now?" Kai asked with amusement.

"Sucks, doesn't it? Welcome to my world."

"Yeah, and that's why I will get back to my carefree ways the second we're in front of your house." Kai bobbed up and turned to offer her his outstretched hand. Bonnie tried to play sulky for a while but she really did feel sleepy and cold, especially now that Kai's body wasn't shielding her from the wind any more. So she reached for his hand and let him raise her up to her feet. Within minutes they had all their stuff packed and were in the car on their way back to Bonnie's place. The background music was back to the usual radio station as it silently played in the car.

Due to her sleepy state she enjoyed the comfortable silence in the car and watched the road outside and Kai in turns. When Kai finally parked the car in front of her house he had to step outside and open the passenger door for her because she thought she wouldn't be able to open it. When she finally managed to crawl out of the vehicle she interlaced her hand with Kai's and snuggled her body as close to his as she could. Halfway to her door an idea popped into her head. They had made so much effort to make this seem like an ordinary first and second date that there was something that couldn't be missing from the night.

Bonnie's excitement boosted her with energy and when she turned around to Kai with sway he only looked startled from the sudden change in her mood.

"Hey, I have an idea but you have to play along, okay?" Bonnie proclaimed.

"Play along to what?" Kai wanted to know skeptically.

"You'll see. Just remember: Play along and please, please, please don't go anywhere."

Kai only frowned at her cryptic explanation but nodded. Content Bonnie grabbed his hand again and strayed to the front door. Right in front of it they stopped and Bonnie stepped in front of Kai, not letting go of his hand.

"Tonight was really special." Bonnie whispered and looked up into Kai's eyes to see him smile down at her.

"Yeah, it really was."

"You know there is only one thing that's actually missing to make this perfect."

"And what would that be?"

Bonnie stood on her tiptoes to reach his ear and then she whispered "A kiss goodnight."

When Bonnie was back on her feet she shyly looked back to Kai who had to suppress a laugh, his amusement clearly visible on his face, though. It took him less than a few seconds to take her face gently into his hands and softly press his lips to hers. A very sweet moment that Bonnie tried to tuck away for the rest of her life.

Their lips parted after just a few seconds but Kai's head lingered close to hers.

"I guess that means you're up for round three?" Kai asked with a smirk.

"Count me in." Bonnie said and quickly gave him another peck on the lips. Stepping away from him and unlocking the door she turned around and looked at Kai standing in the same spot with his hands in his pocket. "Goodnight, Kai." It almost physically hurt her to say these words but for the perfect date-experience she had to get through with it. She only hoped that he remembered what she told him just moments ago. There was no way in hell she would spend this night without him and she hoped that Kai knew that this whole kissing-goodnight thing was part of her idea to have it all.

"Goodnight, Bonbon." Kai said and tilted his head lightly to the right, observing her with amused eyes.

It took every ounce of self-control out of her to step inside and close the door. When the door was shut she rested her forehead against it and counted. She had planned to wait one minute and then to reopen the door and drag Kai into her house- assuming he was still there. The sudden fear he might have misunderstood her and left overcame her and she tore the door open with sway.

The moment her eyes spotted Kai in exactly the same place like a few seconds ago- patiently waiting for her to reopen the door- her heart jumped. The smirk on his face showed her that he was enjoying this little play.

"Am I allowed to stop playing this game or are you going to slam that door in my face once more?" he asked teasingly and Bonnie responded by grabbing the collar of his shirt and crushing her lips on his. He instantly wrapped his arms around her and they walked back into the house. When Kai closed the door behind him he grabbed Bonnie's upper thigh and lifted her off her feet, all while kissing her fiercely. As silently as possible he carried her upstairs into her room and gently lay her down on the bed.

"I'm so glad that you didn't run away." Bonnie murmured between kisses.

"Why would I run when you asked me to stay?" Kai said while pulling Bonnie's shirt over her head. "Besides, I liked that little role play we had going on the entire night." Reclaiming her mouth with his he cut Bonnie's answer short.

This night had taken an interesting turn. In the evening she had no clue she would go on the best date she was ever on and she certainly didn't think she would end up having steamy sex with her boyfriend this night, because she was willing to hold onto her standards of no kissing whatsoever. But she underestimated Kai's craftiness when it came to bending the rules to his will. Now, that she had been on the 'second' date with him and already made out with him the rest of the night, it didn't matter if she slept with him or not. And she really wanted to, the entire night was a freaking turn-on and she needed to release the tension between her thighs.

Lucky for her, she knew that Kai would do everything in his power to satisfy her needs tonight.


	48. Chapter Forty-Eight: The Surprise

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Surprise

'Stressful' was the word she would describe the following days with. Bonnie was standing in the supermarket getting the last few things she would need for Jo's and Kai's birthday party. It was only a day away and she still had so much to prepare at home. She had planned this day in every detail so she would be done by tonight and go over to the Parker house in the evening. But there was a variable that she hadn't counted in: her grams.

Sheila Bennett had arrived in Portland a few days ago to visit her daughter and granddaughter and Bonnie was so happy to see her. When she had stated she was heading to the supermarket her grandmother had asked if she could come along and Bonnie had gladly taken her with her. But it turned out her grandmother had taken the opportunity to wander around the different aisles in reduced speed, looking at every product there was and showing it to Bonnie to ask her if she needed anything.

Bonnie had gotten a little grumpy after they had already spent 20 minutes in the shop and Sheila didn't seem to be halfway done. Her frustration was visible to anyone but her grandmother, who even thought that toilet paper with an engraved unicorn was something you needed to think about for 5 minutes straight. Whenever her grams asked her something now she only rolled her eyes and turned back to the cart in front of her, praying that she would be done as fast as possible.

"Bonnie dear, come over here real quick, would you?"Sheila asked from behind her and Bonnie breathed in once and then turned around to find her grandmother looking through different baking utensils.

"Do you want to bake a cake?" Bonnie asked when she reached her.

"Well, no but I thought you would want to." Sheila stated.

Bonnie furrowed her brows. "Me?"

"Yes, isn't it your boyfriend's birthday tomorrow? It's kind of part of the tradition to have a birthday cake and since you are planning everything else for his celebration I thought you would like to bake a cake as well."

"Grams-" Bonnie tried hard not to sound angry. "Like you said, I am already planning everything else. I don't have time to bake a cake until tomorrow. There is so much I need to do still and that is why I need to get home and get things done. So if you wouldn't mind hurrying up just the slightest bit, I would be very happy." Bonnie turned back around and wanted to walk away when she heard her grandmother say something.

"Alright, then I'll bake the cake for you. What kind does he like?"

Turning back around to look at her, Bonnie thought she had misheard her grandmother.

"You…want to bake Kai a birthday cake?" she asked skeptically while stepping closer.

"Why not? The boy is turning 18 and he deserves to have a cake. So, if his girlfriend won't do it."

"But you don't even know him."

"Yet. I hope that that will change fairly quickly. So, what kind of cake?"

Bonnie watched her grandmother for a moment before she hesitantly said. "Well, he loves cheesecake." Sheila Bennett only nodded once and disappeared for another 10 minutes until she returned with everything she needed for a classic cheesecake. Finally, it seemed like she was willing to leave and the two Bennetts headed to the checkout.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When Bonnie arrived at the Parker house she had the fresh cake with her. She was actually relieved when it was Melinda who opened the front door and she could sneak into the kitchen and hide the cake for the next day. But even when she stepped the first foot inside the house she felt like something was off.

Before she was heading to Kai's room she wanted to say 'hi' to Jo then she headed back to Kai's room. When she knocked on his door and there was no reaction from inside she just walked in, like she always did. Except this time, there was no grumpy, happy, cunning or sexy voice returning her sweet greeting like usual. The reason for that was that Kai was lying on his bed, facing the ceiling, eyes closed and headphones on. He wasn't moving, the only indication that he was still alive was the rhythmical raising of his chest.

Everyone else might have thought there was nothing odd about this picture, but Bonnie knew better. She had never seen Kai with headphones on, he was usually the type to listen to it on a high sound level so he could annoy as many people as possible with it. This introvert version of him, listening to music, made Bonnie wonder what was going on inside of him. She made her way to Kai's bed and climbed onto it. When her body made the mattress move Kai stirred and opened his eyes. When they found Bonnie he quickly took off his headphones and smiled at her.

"Hey there, are you trying to sneak in?" Kai said in an ironic voice which was laced with a sad undertone that probably only very few people would trace.

"Can't say that I did. I knocked and said 'hello' but you were too busy reenacting the music video of 'Chasing Cars' to notice me." Bonnie teased and earned an honest chuckle from him.

"Touché."

Bonnie, who was now next to Kai, hovering above him, smiled down at her boyfriend before getting serious again. "So, wanna tell me what this is all about?" she pointed at Kai's posture and the headphones. There was a part of her that didn't believe she would get an answer. Even though Kai had become more open to her about what was going on inside of him, he still dealt with a lot of things on his own. The seemingly small stuff, he kept to himself. She felt like her suspicions were proven right when Kai reached out for her, pushed her down into the cushions and nuzzled into her neck, holding her tight against him. Bonnie's hand automatically lifted into his hair and she started to massage his skull like he enjoyed so much.

The surprise when Kai eventually did answer her question was written all over Bonnie's face, though he couldn't see it from his position. "I don't know, I just don't feel so festive that's all. I wish tomorrow was already over." He admitted.

"Why is that?" Bonnie wanted to know. Even though she had never celebrated his birthday with him, she had witnessed him parading the halls of the school in many years prior. He was known for loving the attention that was given to him on a special day like his birthday and hearing him say that he really didn't want to celebrate it at all made Bonnie frown.

"It's just not the same this year." Kai sighed heavily while tightening his hold on her just a little bit more before adding "She should be here for this, you know?"

Bonnie's heart tightened. It had been a while since he last mentioned his mother, even longer that he mentioned he was still suffering. Even though Bonnie knew that he was still healing form this, it had seemed that he had overcome the worst of it. But the occasion of his 18th birthday right around the corner without her there would probably throw anyone back.

"Hey." Bonnie made Kai look at her. "I have no idea what this must feel like but I want you to know that you are not alone. Also, I am pretty certain that your mom is going to have an eye on you the whole day tomorrow to make sure you don't do anything stupid." Bonnie ended with a joke and Kai chuckled while nuzzling back into her neck.

Bonnie's heart pounded like crazy. She wrapped her arms around Kai to try and give him some sort of safety and he gratefully accepted it. For a while they only lay there, cuddling, not saying anything and Bonnie felt her lids getting heavier before she snoozed away for a moment. She rushed back to conciseness and startled Kai in the same moment. Bonnie must have looked terrified or something because Kai's gaze was set on her, concern written all over his features. Then he leaned down and kissed her softly which fortunately calmed her down.

"You okay?" he asked.

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah, it was just microsleep. I'm good."

Kai smiled and placed himself next to her, asking her if she wanted to watch a movie. Bonnie gladly accepted his offer, thinking that he might need the distraction. They settled for a Marvel movie, which Kai enjoyed very much, giving her the impression that his mood had gotten better. In the middle of the film Bonnie went into the bathroom and got ready for bed. It was about 11 p.m. and she really wanted to try and stay up until 12 so she could be the first one to congratulate him. Unfortunately, the preparations for the party tomorrow had drained Bonnie more then she thought and within the next 15 minutes she had fallen fast asleep.

When she reopened her eyes, it was still early. Her alarm hadn't gone off yet and Kai was still peacefully asleep next to her. Bonnie considered getting out of bed and preparing a birthday-table for him and Jo, with the cake and everything. But knowing that Kai was a light sleeper he would probably wake up from the rustling of the sheets and then the surprise would be ruined. So she stayed right where she was, waiting for the alarm to wake him up.

While he was resting, Bonnie watched his relaxed features. He always looked so much calmer and at ease with the world when he slept. Bonnie had to fight back the urge to lean in and cuddle close to him. Luckily, it wouldn't be too much longer before the alarm went off.

Like on cue, the phone to Kai's right started buzzing and Kai immediately woke up and turned it off. He groaned lying back down and covering his eyes with his left arm. Now it was Bonnie's turn to snuggle into his side. She nuzzled her nose into his cheek because it was the only free space in his face she could reach, with his arm dragged over it. Slowly, Kai removed his arm from his face and brought it around to pull Bonnie closer to him. For a few moments they just lay there, saying nothing until Bonnie started pecking Kai's cheek.

Kai's eyes were still closed but he started to smile. Bonnie now hovered above him and gave him a real kiss on the lips. It was a long kiss in which she tried to put all her affections and when she pulled away she whispered a 'happy birthday' against his lips. A rather sad smile appeared on Kai's lips. Maybe he tried to fake one for her sake and failed, or maybe he didn't try hiding his feelings at all, Bonnie wasn't quite sure.

When Bonnie started to caress his face softly he opened his eyes and she looked right into his clear blues. This time the smile on his face was genuine. Something deep inside Bonnie thought that it might have to do with her but she pushed the thought away. She may be sure that Kai cared about her deeply but she would be a fool if she thought that Malachai Parker would base his happiness on having her by his side.

Suddenly Bonnie got turned over and was pushed into the cushions on her side of the bed. She giggled while Kai left soft kisses along her jaw.

"Maybe we should stay in bed all day long." He mumbled against her neck.

"Yeah, not a chance." Bonnie snickered while she closed her eyes from the sensation of his kisses.

"Why not? It's my birthday, shouldn't I decide how to spend it?" He sounded like a mixture of seriousness and provocation. When Bonnie looked in his eyes they were shining with mischief.

"Oh, I can give you a tone of reasons why we can't just stay in bed. For one, I planned a freaking birthday-party for you and that was very stressful, so we are definitely going to show up there. Second of all, it's a school day. I know that doesn't rank too high on your priority list but on mine. Also I think there are a few people in school who are dying to wish you a happy birthday. Third, might I remind you that you always enjoyed rubbing your birthday in everyone's faces at school? Plus, it is not only your birthday but also your twin sisters. The sister that you actually care about very deeply and that is like your soulmate? You would never shut up about not wishing her a happy birthday and giving her the present that you secretly bought even though you agreed that you wouldn't get each other anything-"

"I didn't buy her anything-" Kai interrupted her monologue.

"But you still have something for her." Bonnie accused him and Kai's silence was enough for her to know that he did. "Okay, furthermore-" Bonnie wanted to continue but she couldn't due to Kai's lips being pressed against her own.

"Okay, I get it. You won, we're not spending the entire day in here. Even though I could think of worse ways to spend the day." Kai cut her off and then abruptly sat up and got out of bed.

"Hey, I didn't say you had to get up right away." Bonnie pouted. Kai only laughed and grabbed something to wear before slipping out of the room and heading to the bathroom.

Bonnie took the chance and got dressed very quickly. Then she slipped into the kitchen to prepare the birthday cake. When she came down she already found Dawn and the twin babies. She had already taken care of everything. Breakfast was done and the cake was properly placed in the middle of the table.

Jo was the first one to come down and Bonnie let her grandmother hug her before she enthusiastically pulled her into a tight embrace wishing her a happy birthday. Jo seemed genuinely happy and thanked her. She also opened the present that Bonnie had gotten her right away. It was this backpack that Jo had once shown her and totally fell in love with but just wasn't brave enough to buy. Bonnie had a good memory of those things and went and bought it for her. Jo was so happy about the present and packed it so she could take it to school.

Eventually Kai came downstairs as well. First his grandmother hugged him tight. The small woman seemed to be pretty strong because when Kai tried to get out of her grasp, she kept pressing him to her and mumbling birthday wished into his ear. When he finally escaped his grandmother's embrace he locked eyes with Jo. The twins weakly smiled at each other and the next second they were sharing a hug themselves. It was heartwarming to see how much love and affection went into this hug. It lasted longer than Bonnie had ever seen Kai hug anyone. They didn't say anything, just kept each other close. Only when they let go of each other and brightly smiled they both wished the other person a happy birthday.

Kai was super happy about the cake. When he spotted it he only glanced at her with a knowing smile and asked if she had made it. Bonnie couldn't lie to him and confessed that it had been her grandmother who actually did it. Kai only laughed while he sat down and Dawn exclaimed that she was really looking forward to meeting Bonnie's grams which oddly made Kai turn silent.

They sat around the table while various siblings joined them and congratulated the twins. Briana had drawn two super cute pictures- showing each twin with her- and proudly presented it to them. Bonnie was watching Kai's reaction to the presents he got very closely. He seemed genuinely content, even though he had told everyone he didn't want anything. He had made her promise him not to get him anything, which Bonnie had accepted. Until she had the perfect idea. The present she had gotten for him was solely representational, so that he wouldn't be mad at her. But it was the meaning behind it that was the actual present. But Bonnie wanted to wait for a calmer moment to give it to him. She was nervous about his reaction, maybe even a little afraid about how he would think about it and the fact that she disregarded his wishes, but it was too late now.

When they headed to school Kai packed some slices of cake to bring with him. For himself, he claimed and Bonnie was only halfway sure that he was joking. The school day itself went by smoothly. Somehow nearly everyone they knew remembered it was Kai's and Jo's birthday, even some teachers congratulated him without anyone reminding them. The last years of Kai's birthday had left an impact on them, it seems like.

In all Faye-fashion she over-excitedly wished Kai and Jo a happy birthday, even giving Jo her very own unicorn-helium-balloon that she carried around for the rest of the day. Like Bonnie had assumed Kai shared his cake with the group and they had a great day. Every once in a while she would glance at him to see how he was holding up but it seemed like he had left the brooding mood at home because he was smiling and laughing along with his friends.

When school was over Kai dropped Bonnie off at home because she needed to get ready for the party. Kai promised to come over before the party because he wanted to go there with her but also because she still hadn't told him or Jo where the party actually took place.

She had told Jo, who had her own birthday ritual to go through with Jessica and Olive, to be ready at about 7 p.m. She had told Jessica and Olive about the place and she made them swear not to tell Jo before they got to the meeting point with Bonnie.

The celebration would take place at this secret spot every kid in their school knew. It was down in the woods, a little clearing with an old dried-up well and some sheltered place. It used to be some sort of public park but when it got destroyed the city didn't bother getting it fixed up. From that moment teenagers had used it for various parties. It was actually pretty perfect because you could celebrate no matter the weather due to the roofed part. Bonnie had also organized a bonfire. Since it was already October the nights could get a little freezing. The fire was supposed to warm everyone and so was the alcohol. Lucky for her she knew enough people who could organize booze. Brian Glen had lent a helping hand in that department.

So now Bonnie was looking at herself in the mirror, wearing a brand new checkered flannel blouse that fit her perfectly. She was applying the last bit of make up when she heard the door bell ring. She rushed downstairs to be the first one to open the door. Her grams and mother were home and not only was she worried about Sheila Bennett's interrogation that she had surely planned for Kai but also the way her mother was going to smother him with hugs. She needed to be the one to safely welcome him into her house.

With all the sway from running down the stairs Bonnie opened the door and looked at the smiling face of her boyfriend. He was wearing his leather jacket, which always made him look like a freaking model, in combination with a white shirt and black jeans with the mandatory black boots. She had to keep her mouth from dropping because it would look ridiculous. Kai leaned against the door frame and tilted his head a little. He didn't seem to care if it was ridiculous or not to gaze at her from top to bottom. His smirk on his face irritated Bonnie.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, just enjoying the view." Kai pushed himself off the frame and took a step forward, reaching Bonnie, capturing her lips with his in the same motion. "You look very pretty." He whispered against her lips when he let go again.

Bonnie's core clenched at his statement. The familiar warmth spread through her system and she pulled Kai into a quick hug before closing the door behind him. With a stern look on her face she turned to him.

"Listen," she whispered, "my mom and grams are here. I need to warn you, they are probably going to overreact and grams is totally going to play good cop/bad cop with you, where she is both good and bad. I just want to warn you, it could be a little…"

"Is that our birthday-boy?" her mother's voice interrupted Bonnie coming from the living room. She had yelled that questions with enthusiasm and Bonnie rolled her eyes. "…over the top." Bonnie finished her previous sentence and looked at Kai apologetically. It was all she could do because she already heard her mother approach.

"There he is." Abby said in an adoring voice. Bonnie was watching Kai, searching for a hint that he felt uncomfortable but he smiled at her mother and it seemed genuine. Abby stepped up to them and opened her arms.

"Come here, sweetie." Abby reached out and Kai consigned to his fate and let Abby hug him. It was a tight hug and Kai didn't seem too uncomfortable. When Abby finally let him out of her embrace she reached out to cup his face and smiled at him. "Happy Birthday, Kai." Abby said and smiled.

"Thanks." Kai replied, seeming honestly happy with the gesture. Abby finally let go of him when grams stepped next to her.

"Now Abby, step aside so I can take a look at our Bonnie's friend right here." Sheila Bennett said and pushed her daughter to the side. Bonnie was nervous as to how her grams would react to Kai. Because her grandmother had known about Bonnie's feelings for him for a while, she had no idea if she would play nice or not. She really loved her grandmother and wanted her to like Kai as well. Sheila let her assessing gaze linger on Kai. Her expression was stern, not showing any emotions. Others might even think that she looked intimidating. 'Bad cop it was then' Bonnie thought to herself. Secretly she was happy that Kai wasn't a person to be scared easily. She remembered Jeremy's first encounter with her grandmother after they officially got together. The boy had looked like he wanted to shit his pants. Kai on the other hand was staying pretty calm and cool.

After a moment of silence Sheila smiled which surprised Bonnie. "Well boy, I guess it is time that we finally met. My granddaughter has told me so much about you. Apparently, she is pretty smitten with you." Sheila said in a friendly tone.

"So I've heard." Kai plainly exclaimed with a smirk which made Bonnie roll her eyes. To surprise her further Sheila started to laugh.

"He's funny this one." Sheila pointed at Kai who was smiling contently. Then Sheila stepped up to him and to both Bonnie's and Kai's surprise hugged him. "Happy birthday, boy."

"Thank you." Kai said. The hug wasn't nearly as long or strong as Abby's had been but nevertheless it was a hug. "And I guess I have to thank you for the delicious cake you made me." Kai added when Sheila let go of him.

"Oh, did Bonnie tell you that I did it. I wanted her to say she did it."

"Please. As if I don't know what Bonnie is capable of in the kitchen-department?" Kai mocked her and she shoved him a little for his comment. He only send her a smug smile before turning back to her grandmother. "Anyways, everyone really enjoyed the cake." He added.

Sheila brushed it off. "Oh, that was nothing."

They kept on chatting about this and that and Bonnie could see they got along great. Bonnie was relieved to see that but it also made her a little nervous.

After a while she asked Kai to accompany her to her room for a while because she still needed to get ready. Sheila and Abby went back to the living room while Kai followed Bonnie upstairs. In her room Bonnie turned around and gave him a light kiss before she gave him a very light slap on the face.

"Ouch," Kai complained. "What was that for?"

"For conspiring with my grandmother." Bonnie teased, while Kai wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm not conspiring with your grandmother!" He demanded.

"Oh no? Seemed like you were getting along with her just fine though, which is odd since she usually isn't that open to new people, especially new boyfriends. People sometimes say that my grandmother is a like a mean, old witch." Bonnie chuckled.

"Well, I happen to like mean, old witches." Kai joked and walked towards her bed with Bonnie still in his arms.

"Well, I guess I should be thankful that you two are getting along." Bonnie shrugged.

"You really should." Kai said while leaning down to kiss her cheek. Bonnie leaned back to escape his touch but she lost her balance. Luckily for her, they had reached the bed and she fell softly onto it, taking Kai with her. She giggled while Kai landed on top of her. He started kissing her neck softly before suddenly he started tickling her sides and Bonnie squeaked loudly. He kept up this torture while Bonnie laughed and kicked, trying to get him to stop.

"Kai, please. You are ruining my hair." She got out between giggles and managed to sneak away from him.

"You really are no fun today." Kai pouted.

"Well, deal with it." Bonnie simply said and turned to the mirror to fix the mess that was her hair.

"I don't know what your problem is, I think you look amazing no matter what." Kai said while he turned around on the bed, laying on his stomach and watching her.

Bonnie looked at him through the mirror and only shook her head, smiling. Then she tended to her hair.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

After an hour they had finally left the Bennett house to go to the party. Or at least to go to the meeting point with Jo. It was in the middle of nowhere, a path right before the part of the forest where the party grounds where. It was close enough so that they wouldn't have to walk for too long but far away enough so Kai wouldn't figure out where they went right away. Bonnie sat down on a bench right next to where the path emerged into the woods. Kai placed himself next to her, scanning his surroundings for any clues to where they were going.

The sun was already setting but it was still warm. They had been blest with the weather today. With a quick glance at her watch she saw that they still had a lot of time before Jo, Olive and Jessica would arrive so Bonnie decided to use the time left to give Kai her present. She rummaged through her stuff and got the small present out. She turned to him and said. "Close your eyes and open your hand."

Kai looked at her as if he didn't understand what she wanted from him. "Why?" he asked skeptically.

"Because." Bonnie simply said.

"Bon-" Kai said warningly.

"Just do it." She demanded and reluctantly he did as he was told. Bonnie placed the little package in his hand and closed his fingers around it. "Open your eyes." She softly said and he did.

When he saw the package in his hands he instantly looked up at her, annoyance in his eyes.

"Bonnie, I told you not to get me anything." Be complained.

"Let me stop you right there. Just open it and afterwards you can still complain, alright?"

Kai watched her for a moment longer, not convinced. But he sighed and began tearing off the wrapping paper until he had freed the present. He looked at it a little doubtful as he turned it around in his hand. "A pocket calendar?" he asked while looking at her with raised eyebrows. "I know I am not as organized but I'm not that bad, Bon."

"No, it's not about the calendar." Bonnie said and reached out for his hand. "It is only symbolic."

Kai clearly didn't get what she was trying to say but she hadn't expected that so Bonnie elaborated. "Do you remember when we had to do the history project together and I dictatored you into doing everything I wanted you to?"

"How can I forget? I was the start of our wonderful journey." Kai mockingly said and Bonnie rolled her eyes before she continued.

"And do you remember what you asked of me when we finished- as compensation?"

Something inside Kai seemed to start to figure out what she was trying to say but he couldn't quite catch it yet. "One day." Kai answered her question and looked back down on the plain black calendar in his hand.

"Yes, you asked for one day. One day that you would spend with me. One day that I owed to you. I promised you that day and now-" she looked deeply into Kai's eyes and breathed in. "-now, I am promising you all day, every day. That what the pocket calendar represents. My promise to you that every single day, that is in that journal, is yours. Is ours."

Bonnie felt her heart beat strongly against her rips. Kai was still only staring back into her eyes, no reaction visible on his face. With each passing second she got more and more nervous. She had overdone it. It was too much. He didn't like it. Her worries were about to take her over when a hint of a smile appeared on his face. She gathered enough courage to talk. "Was this too cheesy?"

Kai chuckled. "Hell, yeah. It was all kinds of too cheesy."

The corner of Bonnie's mouth was about to drop low and sadness crept into her. Then Kai leaned over to her, putting his arm around her shoulder and pulling her in closer so that their faces were only inches apart. "It was cheesy, but this might be the best present I ever got." He whispered.

Bonnie looked up trying to figure out if he was toying with her but she found nothing but honesty written on his face. "You mean… you like it?"

Kai smiled. "I love it."

The relief Bonnie was feeling in that moment was unexplainable. She had done the right thing. "Really?" She asked silently.

"Yeah." He whispered back before he closed the short distance between them and kissed her gently. It was a sweet kiss which pressed all her buttons. But it was over too soon when Kai pulled away a little and said "You do realize you have practically sold yourself to me now?" he teased her and chuckled when she hit him against the chest softly.

"You idiot, you're ruining it." Bonnie complained and put her hands at the back of his neck, pulling him back into a passionate kiss. She felt his hands wrap around her waist as he pulled her closer to him. Bonnie lost all track of time while she was sharing this intimate moment with Kai. They kept kissing until they heard Jo's lively voice call from a distance.

"Get a room you two!" she yelled and Bonnie broke away from Kai to look in the direction her voice had come from. Jo saw her approaching the bench with Olive and Jess. Jo let herself fall down next them. She looked gorgeous, wearing a black short skirt and tights combo. Bonnie couldn't help but notice the beautiful necklace she wore, not remembering ever seeing it on her. When Bonnie mentioned it, Jo only looked at Kai and said it used to be her mother's. So that was what Kai had gotten Jo. He must have found the necklace and kept it for Jo. It was such a heartwarming gesture.

Suddenly Kai seemed to be done waiting and jumped off the bench and pulled Bonnie to her feet as well. To not make him wait any longer than he already had, Bonnie led the way into the woods and to the partying-ground. She could hear the people in the far, which told her that nearly everyone was already there. Maybe a few people would still come later but it seemed like most of the guests were there to greet the birthday-twins.

When they took a turn to the right, deeper into the woods Jo and Kai instantly recognized the place and both turned enthusiastic. As they walked on the meadow everybody screamed 'happy birthday' and the music started echoing through the woods. The party had started.

Kai and Jo disappeared into the crowed, receiving wishes here and there and Bonnie went to get herself a drink and then tried to find someone she actually knew because it seemed like the entire school was there. An iconic birthday party from the Parker-twins wasn't something anyone would want to miss. Proud of her work Bonnie went to the first person she recognized, which was Brian Glen. He was hovering around the impromptu-bar, taking care of the beer.

"Wow, you did an amazing job with this." Bonnie pointed to the bar.

"Thanks Bonnie. I guess everyone has some kind of talent." Brian winked at her. "And you did an amazing job organizing all this."

"Well, I had help." Bonnie shrugged and smiled. "Thank you, by the way."

"You're welcome, little tyrant."

Bonnie had to smile when she heard her nickname. Brian gave it to her when she started to involve him in the preparations of the party. She gave him specific instructions and wouldn't take any strays from the plan. Brian then said she behaved like a little tyrant and the nickname kind of stuck but she was okay with it. Over the last few weeks she had gotten along with Brian way better. It wasn't like she would call him friend but he was her boyfriend's friend who she could totally accept.

"Bonnie!" she heard a familiar female voice and the next second all she saw was Faye's red hair as she wrapped her arms around her tightly. She seemed a little tipsy already. "Look at this party, girl. This is so dope. Great job."

"Thank you, Faye." Bonnie mumbled into her hair and gently tried to pull away from her. "Where is everyone else?"

"They are hiding out somewhere down there. I left them because Connor wouldn't shut up about how he wouldn't drink because he was driving. He is always so uptight." Faye rolled her eyes.

"So you left everyone because Connor was complaining?" Bonnie asked with raised eyebrows.

"Well… I guess." Faye started to giggle like a small girl and Bonnie had to roll her eyes. She wasn't nearly drunk enough to find this as funny as Faye.

"Drink with me." Faye commanded and turned to Brian. "Ey asshole, got anything good behind that bar of yours?"

"Charming as ever, Miss Matthews. Why don't you come over here and take a look yourself." Brian answered. Faye did as she was told. Bonnie tried to tell her that she was good, she already got herself a white wine but Faye wouldn't listen. She poured herself, Bonnie and Brian Tequila shots and demanded that they downed them with her. Tequila wasn't Bonnie's favorite poison but she obliged. After that she secretly snuck away from the bar because Faye was in full drinking mode and if she stayed longer she would be drunk within minutes. She felt no remorse leaving Faye. She was in a heated discussion with Brian like usual. But this time they were fighting about what to drink next. They would be okay.

She found the rest of the group. They were hanging around with a bunch of other kids from school. She joined them and started to enjoy the evening fully. Now that everything was in motion she could finally relax.

Over the course of the evening she had a lot of fun. She drank with Liza and Perry until all of them were a little more than just tipsy. Faye popped in and out every now and then and even Connor, even though he didn't drink, didn't behave like a total buzz-kill. In her semi-drunken state Bonnie even danced with Walter. He had just grabbed her when she passed him by and the Pussy Cat Dolls version of 'Sway' was starting to play. Bonnie had cried out and laughed but she had to admit, the boy had some moves. When the song was over he gave her a peck on the cheek and released her.

The party was so crowded that she only got a few peaks at Kai over the course of the night. He was busy drinking with everyone. He waved at her and sometimes it seemed like he was making his way to her but someone always got in the way of that. But it was okay. By his expression Bonnie could read that he was enjoying himself and that was what she had intended to achieve. After a few hours Jo found her. She was already beyond saving and pulled her to the dance floor when the Backstreet Boys were playing. Perry would join them and the three gave a perfect performance of the song. So good that some people even clapped when they were done.

Bonnie had no idea what time it was but she was drunk enough to not feel cold so she didn't mind. It was a good kind of drunk. Not the one where you were feeling nauseated or sleepy. She was just plain happy and enjoying the party. Though her ears were starting to hurt from the loud noise so she walked to the nearby tree at the edge of the meadow and sat down. It wasn't that far from the party, she could still see everyone and everyone could see her, but it was a little quieter.

She was enjoying her solitude when she spotted a figure approaching her. His walk was a little curvy but he more or less headed straight to her. His steps slowed as he saw that she was watching her.

"Hey stranger. I see you're enjoying yourself without me." Bonnie greeted him with a smile on her face.

"Nah ah Bonster, don't turn this around on me. I saw your little dance with Walter earlier." Kai teased, still a few feet away from her.

"Oh that, that was harmless. Plus, you were kind of forcing me into his arms." Bonnie joked, liking the little roleplay they had going. Kai seemed to be in a very good mood, he was grinning at her while he closed the distance between them, crouched down in front of her and leaned forward so that their mouths were nearly touching.

"Oh did I?" he asked her before he captured her lips. It was a passionate kiss, both their intoxicated states of mind adding to that. Kai tasted like Vodka and Whiskey, which would usually disgust her but tonight she didn't mind.

"Are you having a good night?" Bonnie asked when they broke the kiss a while later.

"Yes, I am. Thank you for doing this, Bon." He replied. "And sorry that I wasn't with you for much of it."

Bonnie shook her head. "As long as you're enjoying yourself I'm happy."

A gorgeous smile appeared on his lips and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. Then he pulled away, making himself comfortable on the ground. He lay down on his back and placed his head in Bonnie's lap. He snuggled into her and her hands found their automatic distinction in his hair, stroking it softly. He closed his eyes briefly.

"You're tired?" Bonnie asked softly.

"Nope, just need to rest my eyes for a second. Won't fall asleep, promise." His statement wasn't as affective as he wanted it to be because a yawn escaped him and Bonnie had to chuckle. The vibrations of her laughter made Kai open his eyes again.

"Maybe we should call it a night, what do you think?" Bonnie asked. Kai opened his mouth to answer her when someone else did it for him.

"My brother is going nowhere." Jo dropped down next to Bonnie and gave Kai a playful punch in the stomach which only made him growl in annoyance. She was accompanied by Faye, Liza, Perry and Brian. Apparently Connor had already left the party.

Together they gathered around the tree Bonnie was leaning against. Liza offered both Kai and Bonnie something to drink but they both declined. To Bonnie's surprise Kai didn't sit up but stayed where he was, with his head in her lap. Additionally, he took Bonnie's hand in his and drew soft design across it like she always begged him to do because she enjoyed the feeling so much. It was rare enough that Kai displayed affection publicly and so she reveled in the feeling of it. He even kissed her hand while everyone else was watching. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe not, Bonnie didn't care. Right in that moment she was happy.

It had gotten pretty late already, or pretty early depending on how you saw it. Faye and Brian had been sitting unusually close without insulting each other every five minutes. They were actually having a decent conversation. Jo and Kai were bickering playfully like two elementary school kids, sometimes remembering good and bad situations that happened on their other birthdays. Everyone else was still partying a few feet from them. Suddenly someone was yelling 'Police' at the top of his lungs and the partiers started to panic. Maybe it wasn't true or maybe some patrol had heard the noises from the party but either way they didn't want to get caught. Brian and Faye went to collect the last of the remaining alcohol before they disappeared into the night. Liza and Perry said their goodbyes and Jo, Bonnie and Kai got up and made a quick run for the road. They weren't exactly silent while running away. They were yelling and laughing, if someone wanted to find them they easily could, especially when they were running in zigzag due to their state of mind. When they finally arrived at the pathway into the woods they stopped and gasped for air.

Bonnie had never had to run from anyone or anything but the three kids were just too pumped with adrenalin that they couldn't stop laughing. When they had finally regained their breath Kai wrapped his arms around her shoulders and slowly started walking. After a while they reached the Parker house and they said goodbye to Jo. They had decided to walk a little further, enjoying the fresh night air together and clearing their heads a little. They would stay at Bonnie's place tonight.

For a while they strolled the streets in comfortable silence. Even though Bonnie was more than tired she was in no rush to get home. She was way too comfortable in Kai's arms to be willing to speed this up. The walk back to Bonnie's house seemed shorter than usual, which was probably only due to the fact that the rest of the alcohol flowing through her veins made her inattentive, but now they were standing in front of her house and she was fumbling with the keys. As silent as possible they made their way up to her room. Bonnie bumped her foot against one of the steps by accident and a loud noise resounded in the house. Bonnie froze. Normally there was no risk of anyone waking up from this but with her grams there she couldn't be sure. The old lady had the lightest of sleeps and Bonnie really didn't want to be responsible for waking her. They waited a few seconds until she resumed their journey.

In her room she closed the doors silently and breathed out. Here they were safe to be louder now. In one swing she turned around and rushed to where Kai was standing a few feet away from her and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kai chuckled as he pulled her closer.

"Someone is a little needy tonight." He teased with a smile.

"Well, someone barely even saw you the entire night. I get to be needy." She retorted, laughed and buried her face in his chest.

"Maybe you're right." Kai gently stoked her hair. Then suddenly she got pulled up bridal style and carried over to the bed. Kai let her down on the mattress and placed himself next to her. Suddenly, Bonnie felt like every ounce of clothing she wore was too much. A well-known heat flashed through her body and she remembered how Kai tried to have her all to himself all through the day and she refused him. Now, for her own selfish reasons, she pulled him down into a passionate kiss, hoping that it would lead to more.

For a while they were only kissing and Kai didn't seem to get the hint that she wanted more because one of his hands stayed buried in her hair while he used the other to support his upper body. So Bonnie took matters into her own hands and grabbed Kai's hand that was stroking her hair and dragged it underneath her shirt. When she pulled her own hand away so she could use it to anchor him to her further, Kai pulled away and looked down at her with wondering eyes.

"It's time for you to unwrap your real present." Bonnie whispered seductively in his ear and instantly knew that Kai was wearing his devilish grin on his face.

From one second to another the atmosphere between them shifted. Suddenly the heat between their two bodies was almost visible when Kai followed Bonnie's invitation and unbuttoned her shirt. He pressed wet kisses along her jaw and neck while his hands explored her body. The sensation Bonnie felt was indescribable. No matter how often they did that, it would never feel anything less than amazing. Kai's touch was intoxicating and overwhelming. She was a slave to them and it would get her into so much trouble along the way. But there was no room to think of that now because every thought in her mind was about him. She was busy getting rid of Kai's white shirt to reveal his well muscled body.

Even though they had started their love-making in a rather slow way, the action sped up quickly. Bonnie had already lost her pants and was only clothed in her underwear now and was busy freeing Kai from his own. They unclothed each other while making out heavily and soon she was completely naked.

Bonnie didn't know why exactly she did it- maybe it was because in the back of her head she wanted to make Kai's special day a little more special- but she used the heat of the moment and took control of the situation. Normally, she would let him be the dominant one mostly because she had been a little insecure about her sexual capabilities. She really didn't have too much experience before Kai, but ever since they started having sex every other day like the horny teenagers they were, she got more comfortable and wanted to try new things. So right now, Bonnie turned them over so that Kai was underneath her. She could see the surprise in his eye for her taking charge but most of all she saw anticipation and lust which only encouraged her more.

Bonnie leaned over him and kissed him deeply. Then she made her way down his body, kissing along his neck, chest and stomach until she reached the waistband of his boxers. With her teeth she dragged them down to his knees, revealing his hardness. She got rid of the boxers completely and placed herself between his legs. Kai followed her every move with interested eyes. Maybe he knew what she was about to do, maybe he didn't but there was nothing in this world that was more satisfying then seeing the expression on his face when she took his penis in her mouth.

A groan from deep within escaped him and he closed his eyes in delight. Bonnie started sucking and moving her mouth up and down his length, taking him in a little bit further the more often she did it. Kai let his head fall back into the pillows, completely lost in the pleasure she was giving him and the sight of Kai being at her mercy and being so completely satisfied because of her was giving Bonnie this amazing feeling. She felt powerful but most of all she felt aroused beyond compare. Her core was already dripping wet even though he didn't even touch her. Only one of his hands was buried in her hair, but he was only massaging her skull not pushing her down further. She had complete control of his body.

The sexual sounds that escaped Kai were encouragement enough for Bonnie to finish what she started. With the help of her hand, which was rubbing down his shaft in addition to her mouth she wanted to drag Kai over the edge.

When Kai groaned her name in warning she ignored him and kept sucking until she felt his release inside her mouth. He moaned her name, which made Bonnie feel like she was coming herself. His body relaxed underneath her when she swallowed his seam and kissed her way up his body. He was still breathing heavily when she reached his face and kissed him deeply. His hands came up to cup both sides of her head, intensifying the kiss. Bonnie's mind was all over the place. She had just given her boyfriend the fist blowjob of her life. She had been wanting to do that for a while now but was always thinking too much, fearing that she might not be able to bring him pleasure but apparently all her fears were unfounded.

When they were finally done kissing Bonnie used her bold mood and whispered a 'happy birthday' against his lips which made Kai chuckle.

"Wow Ms. Bennett, I had no idea what talents were slumbering deep inside you. Why haven't you shown them a little earlier?" Kai asked while looking at her with complete devotion, stroking her hair while she was lying down on his body, drawing designs across his chest.

"Well Mr. Parker, there is still some secrets left to explore even for you." Bonnie grinned.

"I can't wait." Kai whispered and kissed her once more. There was not an ounce of arousal lost between them even though she had just given him his release. Soon after they started kissing again she felt his erection against her upper thigh and she was wet once more. Only the prospect of having him inside her was enough to make her body go crazy. Only he could force these reactions from her. Not only was she in love with this man but she was also purely and utterly attracted to him. A deadly combination.

"Now, let's make sure you'll get your fair share of pleasure, shall we?" Kai seductively whispered in her ear and gently bit down on it. He wanted to turn them around but Bonnie pushed him down inside the cushions, keeping him in place. This might be his birthday but she had just found her libido and wasn't about to give it back- at least not tonight. So she kissed him, nonverbally telling him to leave the command to her and rubbed her breasts teasingly over his chest with her ass lifted in the air.

Lucky for her, Kai seemed to be enjoying this other side of her very much and didn't make any more effort to take over the control. He reached up to her lifted ass and squeezed both cheeks. Bonnie reached down for his penis and arranged it so that she could take him in, then she straddled him. The sudden fullness she felt as she had taken his penis inside was such an amazing feeling. She had been waiting for it ever since they began their sexual game. She let her body adjust for a few seconds before she lifted her hips again and crashed it back down. And instant moan escaped both their mouths and the well-known feeling of pleasure rising inside her erupted her body. Auto-pilot took over and she started riding Kai in a quicker pace. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes closed while she quickly lifted and lowered her pelvis on his manhood. Kai's hands rested on her ass until they wandered to her hips and up her body to cup her beasts. He moved his hips in sync with hers.

The roughness of their actions was nothing new. They usually had different types of sex and they usually didn't change within the act itself. Sometimes they had gentle, sweet sex that felt so much like her heart would burst out of her chest from all the feelings that came with it. Sometimes they had lazy sex, usually in the mornings or when both of them were already pretty beat but still couldn't keep their hands off each other. And other times- most times- they had sexy, rough and pure sex, like right now. It was the most satisfying kind when it came to horniness and arousal but it was also nice because they usually finished it with a sweet make-out session or cuddling.

Right now, all Bonnie wanted was to climax. She felt it building inside her while she groaned Kai's name into the darkness of her room. She was close, she felt it but she also felt Kai being close. They only rarely had the problem of him finishing before her but tonight was one of those nights. But Kai was usually completely aware of the situation and quickly figured out a way to get her to her own release. And so, when Bonnie felt him ejaculate for the second time tonight inside her, he quickly turned them over so he was on top of her and pulled himself out. He only left Bonnie waiting for a second before he pushed his index and middle finger inside her core, giving her her well-deserved climax.

Now that she had her orgasm, she was breathing heavily into the darkness. Kai's fingers were still inside her while he was nibbling on her neck, his other hand massaging her left breast. Oh, how satisfied and happy she felt right in this moment. Satisfied, happy and tired.

"I'm sorry." Kai said against her neck, apologizing for leaving her wanting for a second.

"No need to apologize. You got me off good, didn't you?" she reassured him of her content, sleepily.

When Kai started moving his fingers inside her once more, her core clenched instinctively but she knew that there was no way for her to get through another session of untamed passion.

"Kai, I really don't think I can get through another round." she yawned.

Kai only shushed her but she felt how he withdrew his fingers from her core and instead gently massaged her vulva while sucking on her nipple. He knew that she like being touched that way after sex. It was a harsh contrast to what they had done before because it was only gentleness and the slow fading out of her high she had just experienced. But it was thoughtful of him and she appreciated it every time he did it.

Slowly, her eyes got heavier as she enjoyed the sensational feeling that the trace of his fingers left. It slowly made her fade away. Kai had ceased form her nipples and was now burring his nose in the crock of her neck, half lying on her half lying on the bed. Bonnie's hand was in his hair and she felt that his fingers got lazier too as he drifted off to sleep along with her. He finally stopped and wrapped his now free arm around her stomach, snuggling close to her. The feeling of pure happiness was the last thing Bonnie felt before sleep took her over.

 **Author's note: It's been a while. Shame on me, really. I was really struggling with this chapter and I am really not that satisfied with it. So please, forgive me for keeping you waiting and returning with this. I can't promise you that I'll update any quicker than this time because I am suffering from a major writers block but rest assured, this fiction is going to be continued eventually. Bonkai will never die in my heart (by the way, I am currently rewatching the sixth season of Vampire Diaries and I am always melting when Kai approaches. Gosh, they would have deserved so much better. Screw you, canon.) So, thank you for sticking around and for keeping the Bonkai flag swinging. Love each and every one of you, especially the ones encouraging me to keep writing by telling me that I haven't updated in a while. Please keep the reviews coming, they are such a motivation for me.**


	49. Chapter Forty-Nine: Family Clash

Chapter Forty-Nine: Family Clash

At the first moment the room didn't look familiar. The light was too bright and hindering him to see clearly. When his eyes finally adjusted to the light he recognized the place and remembered the night before.

With a smile on his face Kai turned his head to find a sleeping Bonnie Bennett next to him. She was lying on her side, facing him and was wrapped in her blanket. Besides the bright sunshine that was flooding the room the air had cooled down, fall was approaching fast. And so they were both tugged into thick blankets that were supposed to compensate the lack of clothes on their body.

Kai had felt a huge need to reach out to Bonnie, pull her closer to him and smother her with a tight embrace. But he didn't because that would most certainly wake her up and Kai wanted her to sleep in after the long night they had. So he settled for turning to his side and watching her instead.

Her beautiful features looked relaxed and peaceful. The sunlight touching her face made her skin look even smoother than usual. The golden color of her skin matched the warmth of the October sun perfectly. Fall always had the most beautiful light. Bonnie's even breathing calmed Kai down. He listened to it and in that moment it seemed like the most amazing sound he had ever heard. He couldn't look away from her and his heart did funny things like skipping a beat or changing pace. Even though he had had some time to adjust to these newfound feelings, who only ever surfaced when Bonnie was around, it was still weird. He had never been the emotional type, rather shutting everything out then letting it in. But with Bonnie he found himself forced to feel, wanting to feel. It was something about her that made him want to confess every little thought he ever had to her, hearing her own thoughts about it and just revel in these strange feelings. Even if he wanted to, he had no chance other than to let those feelings in. Bonnie made it impossible for him to ignore them. Sometimes he wasn't quite sure if he hated that about her, or if it was the complete opposite.

Still, the thought of putting a name to his feelings made Kai panic. He didn't think much about the their origin or what they really meant because if he did there was a huge possibility that he might run. Or worse, get hurt. Because no matter what he felt, he was sure as hell that Bonnie would not feel the same. How could she? How could anyone?

Kai shook his head to get rid of his thoughts that had taken such a dark turn. He resumed to watching Bonnie in her sleep. In that moment he was content and at peace. After a while he felt the urge to stretch his limbs. He wasn't used to being lazy in bed. He usually got up as soon as he was awake. Only when Bonnie was with him, he would stay and cuddle or fool around with her. But she was still fast asleep and since waking her was out of the picture for him, he leaned forward and gave her the softest of kisses on the lips before he slowly climbed out of bed. He put on his clothes, his sweatpants he left at her place for occasions like this, and a fresh shirt Bonnie had stolen from him and went downstairs.

Abby was probably already at work, her working schedule was crazy, always switching from early shift to night shift and back. Bonnie used to complain about it a lot because she didn't get to see her mother as much as she might like, but ever since Bonnie and Kai started dating her complaints got less.

Kai headed straight for the kitchen because he was hungry. All the alcohol last night and the late night activities with Bonnie had him starving. For a moment he completely forgot that there was another person in the house so when he heard rumbling in the kitchen he stopped for a second. But then he remembered Bonnie's grams and went right in.

Sheila Bennett was standing at the stove, turning something over in a pan. Kai thought that he should make himself known because the old lady probably didn't hear him approach but when he wanted to say something Sheila cut in.

"Get in here, boy. Breakfast is nearly ready."

Kai blinked and went over to the kitchen counter to sit down. Sheila had her back turned to him and was preoccupied with the food she was preparing so Kai looked out the window to appreciate another beautiful October day. After only a minute, a plate was put in front of him along with flatware. A warm and wonderful smelling pancake was greeting Kai and his stomach instantly grumbled. Sheila put down maple syrup and watched Kai. He shot her an appreciative smile and reached for the syrup to pour some of it over his pancake.

Kai let his feet dangle from the stool as he was enjoying his meal. He supported his head with his arm while he was digging into the pancakes. He felt somewhat like a little boy again. The situation reminded him a lot of the way his granny used to make him pancakes when he was about 6 years old. The only difference was that Dawn Abbott used to put a funny face onto the pancakes with blueberries or chocolate chips. But of course Sheila Bennett wouldn't do that, he was way too old for smiley faces.

Kai swallowed a huge bite before he turned his attention to the older woman in front of him. "These are amazing. I wonder where the talent for cooking got lost between you and your granddaughter. I know Abby is a good cook, so?"

Sheila chuckled. "Dear boy, I guess the Hopkins genes are more dominate than we all wished. But I also guess that it has to do with pure interest. Bonnie has so many other things on her mind other than cooking. You are one of those things, I guess."

Kai nodded, he had never seen it like that. "Well, for the sake of humanity, I must break up with Bonnie then. If I don't she might accidentally poison the president one day." Kai joked then halted, for a moment. He had forgotten who he was talking to. But Sheila Bennett continued to impress him when she laughed full heartedly at his joke. He liked this person more with every second.

"You are a rascal through and through, aren't you?" she asked with a smile on her face and turned around to take care of the other pancakes still in the making.

"I do my best." Kai smiled and ate the last of his pancakes.

"Thought I heard someone rambling down here." A familiar female voice reached his ear and he turned to see Bonnie stand in the doorway to the kitchen. She was wearing one of his shirts and short pajama-pants. Even though he liked the style she was wearing earlier in bed better, he had to admit that he liked seeing her in his clothes.

"Good morning there." Kai greeted her cheekily when she stepped inside and placed herself next to him.

"Hi." She smiled and looked him deep in the eyes before her gaze went down to his empty plate. "What the hell have you been eating?" she asked accusingly.

"It's not my fault, it was there when I got here." Kai raised his hands in defense as Bonnie's expression turned sour. She was now mock-glaring at her grandmother.

"Grams?"

"Relax child, it is really not his fault. Also it is not like I forgot about you." Sheila put a plate of hot pancakes in front of her granddaughter who looked more pleased now. "By the way, you are turning into a daring little woman, not saying good morning to your old grams but demanding to get fed anyway."

Bonnie smiled at her grandmother with the typical granddaughter smile Kai always used with his own grandma and he could see that Sheila Bennett wasn't immune to the look either.

"It's all his fault." Bonnie pointed at Kai while she ate.

"Excuse me?" Kai said mock-indignant. "You are only mad because I got the first pancakes."

"Hell yeah I am. You didn't even deserve them." She actually stuck out her tongue to him before her grandmother flung a dishtowel in her face which startled her.

"Leave him be, Bonnie. He got the first portion and that's it. Now you have your own share so do not pout. Besides, look at the poor boy, he really needs to get some good food into his belly." Sheila said the last part with a caring smile on her face and a wink of her eye which Bonnie didn't catch. Kai was secretly falling in love with the woman. It surprised him all the time that he like Bonnie's family so much. In comparison to his own he actually really liked spending time with them.

"Are you two colluding?" Bonnie asked accusingly with her fork pointed between her grandmother and him.

"What?"  
"Noooo!" they both said at the same time and it was so funny that it really didn't sound genuine at all. The three laughed and then Sheila excused herself, leaving Bonnie and Kai on their own.

"I really had hoped to find you next to me when I woke up." Bonnie said after a brief silence.

"Well, I waited for you to wake up forever but somehow you decided to play sleeping-beauty this morning. I am a patient man but I am not that patient."

Bonnie smiled genuinely until her smile turned into concern. Kai remembered that Bonnie once thought that he only skipped school without any reason but being with him quickly taught her differently. Of course he skipped school for no particular reason but sometimes he just needed the rest because having trouble sleeping sometimes required taking every opportunity you got. She was probably worried about the length of his sleep time again.

Bonnie reached out a hand to caress his cheek. "We really need to try and find a way to better your sleep-quality and quantity. Have you ever considered seeing a doctor or something?"

Kai rolled his eyes at her. "Already tried that when I was like 12. I've been to every doctor in this god-forsaken county and not a single one had something helpful to say. Trust me Bon, it would be a waste of time."

"But there has to be something, anything that can help you sleep better. I mean, I'm not talking about medication but something that can actually help get to the bottom of this and get rid of it in the process." Bonnie had rested her arm on Kai's shoulder and her hand was loosely buried in his hair.

Kai looked at her with amusement in his eyes. He had long given up on the hope of improvement and thought that Bonnie's attempt and concern were cute but there was really nothing she could do. Except she already did. Trying to make her feel better he reached for her thighs and squeezed them slightly.

"Hey, don't lose any sleep over the topic okay?" He winked at her and she only rolled her eyes because of his stupid pun but he ignored her and continued. "There is no one out there that can help me sleep better anyways. The only thing that really helps is having you next to me." Kai gave Bonnie a sweet smile and watched her swallow visibly, her eyes slightly widened but were adoring with just a hint of disbelief.

It was the truth though. Kai had noticed a major increase of hours actually spent asleep when Bonnie first started staying over during the summer when they hadn't been dating. The pure presence of her next to him put him in some kind of ease that allowed his body and brain to relax easily and actually fall asleep for some hours straight. It was not nearly the time people usually slept during the nights but in comparison to when he was sleeping alone when he sometimes didn't get a single hour of sleep without waking up and staying up in the night- it was definitely an improvement.

Bonnie seemed to have found her peace with his declaration because now she was smiling back at him. Kai moved a little closer to her. "Hi." He whispered while looking in her eyes.

"Hi." She replied in an equally silent voice and then they both leaned forward, meeting the other halfway, and shared a sweet kiss. Bonnie tasted like sugar and maple syrup with a hint of toothpaste. It was intoxicating but Kai made sure that the quite, sweet moment they were sharing didn't evolve into something more heated. They had plenty of time for that but right now he just wanted to enjoy this moment with her.

When they let go of each other, they lingered in each other's personal space and Kai watched Bonnie repress a smile by biting her bottom lip. "Nice shirt by the way." Kai breathed against her lips and she chuckled.

"You think? It's new. Does it fit me?" Bonnie leaned back and presented his retro 'Nirvana' shirt like he had never seen it before.

"Absolutely." Kai said in an over-exaggerated manner and pulled Bonnie back into a quick kiss.

"I was thinking about getting a change though." Bonnie hopped off the stool and took a few steps towards the door, leaving her plate on the counter. Then she turned around to Kai. "Wanna help me choose something else to wear?"

A grin was spreading across Kai's face and in the next second he was behind her, chasing her upstairs. Bonnie was screaming and laughing at the same time when she was running away from him. He finally caught her in her room, wrapping his arms around her from behind her and spinning her around so that her back hit the wall. Her chuckles died down when she looked at him with hungry eyes.

Now Kai didn't hold anything back when he kissed her. Their kiss turned passionate the instant their lips met and Kai let his tongue slip into her mouth easily. In a swift move he started to undress Bonnie by freeing her from his Nirvana shirt.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A while later Bonnie was begging him to stop tickling her. They had spend some time in bed snuggling close to each other and just enjoying the presence of the other but now, Kai got bored and started rambling. Bonnie had hit him with a pillow to make him shut up and that was when he had started his tickling-torture.

She was laughing so hard and kept telling him that her stomach hurt from all the laughter but he still kept going until finally her begging got heard.

"Please Kai, I'll do whatever you want just stop. Please."

Kai abruptly stopped and leaned over her slender form. "Whatever I want?"

Bonnie gasped when he finally let go of her. "Shouldn't have said that, right?"

"Heeeell no." Kai grinned and leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll come back to you for that sometime."

Bonnie tried to push him off her when he leaned down and fake-bit her in the neck like a wannabe vampire. It only tickled her though, Kai would never hurt her on purpose. She laughed when he finally let go of her. Kai rested his weight on his forearms and caged her in underneath him, smiling down at her. Then suddenly he groaned in annoyance and buried his head in the crook of her neck.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked with a little concern in her voice.

"I have to leave." Kai mumbled against her skin ands he barely understood it.

"Oh, right. Your granny had something planned with you and Jo, right?" Bonnie asked and felt his nod against her neck before he resurfaced into her view. "You really have to go?"

"Yup, promised granny. And more importantly I promised Jo not to leave her alone with granny for the whole day." Kai rolled his eyes.

"When do you have to leave?"

Kai reached over her to his phone resting on her nightstand. "About- 30 minutes ago." He sadly looked down at her and Bonnie pouted. He gave her a quick kiss before he reluctantly got out of bed. Bonnie sat up herself watching Kai get completely dressed. After a while she decided she was going to accompany him downstairs and say goodbye to him at the door, so she got out of bed herself and got dressed.

Together they went downstairs and Kai put on his shoes when they heard two voices laughing. Kai was pretty sure to recognize one of the voices and Bonnie seemed to be aware of the second one. But how could that be? The two shared a startled look before they headed to the living room where the voices had originated.

In the living room they found Sheila Bennett sitting on the couch, a tea cup in hand and laughing at something that- HIS GRANDMOTHER had said. Dawn Abbott was sitting next to Sheila with her own tea cup looking rather happy. The two old women turned when they realized they had company.

"Oh hello there, darlings." Dawn greeted them and Sheila gestured for them to come closer. Hesitantly Bonnie and Kai took a few steps towards their grandmothers.

"What's going on here?" Kai asked a little perplexed.

"Oh, your grandmother just told me the most hilarious story about how she met your grandfather in college. She was a really cunning woman, your granny." Sheila explained but didn't explain the more obvious question about why his grandmother was there.

"Maybe he was just not as smart as he thought he was." Dawn retorted with a wink in his direction. Kai only frowned at her when Sheila started laughing again. Kai knew the story about how his grandparents have met and he didn't think that it was really that funny.

"And is there any reason why you are here right now, granny?" Kai asked her directly.

Dawn sighed. "Yes, there is. I remember a certain someone agreeing to meet me and his sister about half an hour ago. I thought that I would just be a nice grandmother and not be mad and just come pick him up so that we wouldn't waste any more time." She turned her piercing gaze in Kai's direction and a shiver went down his spine. This woman might be the only adult he had ever really feared and respected.

"Sorry." Kai only said and his grandmother raised an eyebrow, looking so much like her grandson at that moment.

"Alright, I guess I can forgive you considering the condition that you were in last night. Don't bother asking how I know, I saw your sister, that is all the information I need to figure out you weren't any better than her. Anyways I had a really lovely time with your grams Bonnie."

"The pleasure was all mine." Sheila toasted towards her with her tea cup.

Kai was still not getting what was actually going on. It seemed like his and Bonnie's grandmother were getting along. Some alarm bell in Kai's head rang making him feel panic at the thought of them becoming friends. Not that he didn't like that his grandmother had someone here in Portland she could spent her time with but it seemed kind of dangerous to him to have both grandmothers on one side.

"Let me repay you the favor of your hospitality by inviting you over for dinner tonight. You, your daughter and her boyfriend and Bonnie could join us. We're having a barbecue- the last one for this year I suppose." Dawn suggested enthusiastically.

"We are?" Kai just asked but the two older women ignored him.

"Oh, that would be great. I think it is time the two families finally had an official meeting. " Sheila accepted the invite and Kai watched his grandmother rise from the couch with a content smile on her face.

"Then it is settled. We'll be expecting you around 7."

Sheila now rose too and gave Dawn a quick hug. The women said their goodbyes and Dawn headed for the door, leaving Kai behind, who was still startled. He heard his grandmother call his name and turned back to Bonnie.

"I guess I'll see you later then." He said and kissed her briefly.

"I guess so." Bonnie chuckled, obviously amused by his discomfort of the situation. Kai rolled his eyes and followed his grandmother outside.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It appeared that Dawn had abducted her oldest grandchildren to a museum. At first the two kids only shared a confused look but Kai genuinely liked museums, at least when the theme interested him, so he didn't mind too much. He was only surprised when he found out that she had chosen the Portland Children's Museum, god knows why.

So the three were strolling through the building for a while before their grandmother turned to them and told them the real reason they were here.

"Do you remember that I used to take you here every time I came to visit? Kai almost yelled out in frustration because I was going to leave and we haven't gone yet. You must have been- what?- five?"

"I don't recall." Kai replied dryly but Jo seemed to have a hint of a memory.

"Yeah, I think he was throwing around his pens because you wanted to leave early for the airport and he had thought you would take us to the museum instead. Wow, you were such a brat." Jo added in Kai's direction and he only glared at her.

"Yes, that is right. I still took you that day and Kai was finally content. He didn't even cry like he used to when I left for England again. After that day, I always took you to the museum before I left."

Jo and Kai's attention spiked after the last part of her sentence. They exchanged a quick nervous look before they turned back to their grandmother who was studying a painting of a teddy bear.

"You're leaving?" Jo asked with bewilderment.

Dawn turned around slowly and sighed. "Yes my darlings, I am. I know you expected me to stay longer but you must have known that it wouldn't be forever. My home is still England and I always planned on returning."

"But- we need you granny." Jo tried to reason with the old lady. Kai only watched a spot on the ground, already knowing that there was no need to reason.

"I know and that was why I stayed as long as I did. I am not leaving right away. I am going to make sure that everything is working back home and then in a few weeks I'll leave."

Jo was clearly struggling with this- how could she not. This not only meant that the two of them had to take more responsibility but also that they would kind of lose another important woman in their lives. Tears were forming in Jo's eyes and she went to hug her grandmother tight.

"I'll miss you." She declared with a trembling voice.

"Oh my dear, I will always be with you and be there for you, you know that."

Jo nodded and let go of her. Kai still remained silent, his expression blank but of course his grandmother knew better then to trust the façade he had perfected over the years. She stepped closer to him and made him look into her eyes by dragging his chin up.

"You alright?" she asked with her knowing eyes full of care.

"I guess." Kai tried to shrug it off but her intense stare made him cave and he leaned into her when she pulled him close to her into a bear hug.

"You understand, right?" Dawn whispered into his ear while she was caressing the back of his head like she always used to do when he was a kid. Kai nodded, knowing that if he would say something now, his words would tumble. She pulled away from him and held his face in her hand, then she turned to reach out to Jo and cupped one side of her face as well.

"I love you two so much and I couldn't be more proud of you. Look what became of the two of you. If there are two people that can conquer the world together, it would be the two of you."

Jo and Kai both smiled weakly at their grandmother. She patted their cheeks softly and turned around. "Now, let's get through here before your weak excuse of a father can blame me for turning you both into weak freaks that can't handle themselves. Besides, we have a dinner to prepare."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kai was feeling sad the rest of the day. When Bonnie and her family arrived her tried to fake a good mood but he had forgotten that Bonnie was one of the three remaining people on this planet that had figured out how to read him properly. She still didn't say anything during dinner. She only took his hand and squeezed it lightly, reassuring him that she was there. It was rather comforting.

Kai had helped his grandmother prepare the food for the barbeque. There were tons of different salads, vegetables, sauces and beef to choose from. Contrary to his fears his father didn't attend the gathering, which made it a whole lot more comfortable than he would have expected. It wasn't as horrifying to see his grandmother and Sheila Bennett get along then earlier this morning either. Maybe he still had a feeling somewhere deep in his gut that this connection that they were having would get Bonnie, and especially him, in trouble some day but he could accept it better.

Briana had made quick friends with both Sheila and Abby. She was just charming like that, that little annoying thing. She just asked a stupid question and no one could resist her. One little smile and he was caving to everything she asked for as well, so he didn't blame them.

The evening turned rather chilly, giving the October sun wasn't as strong any more. The group gathered inside and some of his siblings excused themselves to do something else. That gave Bonnie and Kai the opportunity to leave the adults to themselves and head to Kai's room.

There Kai let himself fall onto the bed so that his back rested on the mattress. Bonnie slowly paced over to look down on him.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked him.

"I guess." Kai said, not for the first time today. Bonnie finally took the initiative to talk about the elephant in the room that was his bad mood. She sat down next to him, feet dangling from the bedside and took his hand.

"So, you wanna tell me what's been bothering you today?" she asked with a honey-laced voice.

Kai sighed, interlacing his fingers with hers. "She's leaving soon."

"Your grandmother?"

Kai nodded, not looking at Bonnie's face but their interlaced fingers. "Everyone always leaves." Kai said, surprised that something like this even slipped out of his mouth.

Bonnie readjusted her body so that he was now hovering directly over Kai's face. "Hey." She nuzzled his cheek with her nose before drawing back again. "I'm still here."

Kai finally looked at her. His eyes connected with hers and he mirrored the warm smile he saw on her face. His hand reached out to caress her cheek and she leaned into his touch. "Yeah, you are." He whispered and gently pulled her down into a kiss.

When the kiss ended Bonnie rested her head on his chest, her legs wrapped over his. Kai started to caress her back and they lay there in comfortable silence. Yes, Bonnie was still here and he prayed to god that she wasn't going to be the next one leaving him.

 **Author's note: Long time no see, shame on me. I really have to apologize, I have no good excuse for another long wait for you guys. I am simply turning lazy and being tired from work all the time. But rest assured, I am as invested in this story as I ever was. Someday, I will get it finished but there is so much more to tell. I am thinking about wrapping this part of the story soon though. I am having a little trouble finding my way out of the first act and into the second. But you'll see when I did find a way. So, I am still here, waving the Bonkai flag even though some of the fandom seem to have fallen silent but not me. I love them until the last beat of my heart. So, thanks for reading guys and for sticking with this beautiful ship. Bonkai deserve it. See you around.**


	50. Chapter Fifty: Happier

Chapter Fifty: Happier

"Should I really do it?" Bonnie asked skeptically with a sudden wave of panic.

"I already did it. It's your turn now." Kai said bored.

"Yes, but…"

"No but, Bon. We've discussed this hundreds of times. If you don't try you'll never know. Be brave." He encouraged her and with eyes closed she pressed the send button on the registration page of NYU. Kai gave her a peck on the cheek and mumble a 'that's my girl' before he went over to her bed and plopped down on it.

Bonnie turned in her chair to face him. They had been discussing college choices for the past 3 weeks. While Kai wasn't too excited about the topic and was relatively fast on deciding which colleges to apply to because of his father's demand to study economic science, Bonnie hadn't been so sure. So, the most part of their discussion was Bonnie's search for the right field, the right college AND their discussion about how they would handle the distance if they would end up in different cities. Kai had waved it off and told her that they'd figure it out but Bonnie kept pushing until Kai agreed that they could look after colleges that were at least within reaching distance. On the other hand, Bonnie had to promise him to apply to better colleges, too. Even though Bonnie debated that she wouldn't be able to afford such a college, Kai insisted that she'd try and apply for scholarships because she was a really smart girl and had good grades.

So, Bonnie agreed to apply to some of the schools Kai had applied to as well but they had both agreed that they would love to get into NYU. It was a perfect choice. A perfect city, the perfect major (at least for Bonnie), the perfect people around them (since Elena and Caroline applied for schools in NY as well) and most importantly they could be together. Now, that Bonnie and Kai had applied to their choice of colleges, Bonnie felt uneasy. The future was coming so fast and it scared her. More importantly it scared her that Kai didn't even seem to be the least bit scared. Maybe it was because he didn't care if he got into college or not. He didn't want to study economic science anyway.

One day, Bonnie had asked him what he wanted to do instead, and he had only replied that it didn't matter what he wanted. That night, when Bonnie was about to fall asleep, he had confessed to her that he did have an idea what he wanted to study. He wanted to become a psychiatrist. Bonnie was surprised to hear that and turned to watch him. He explained that ever since Jo was little she knew she wanted to become a doctor and Kai used to hate that idea. But something about human behavior always fascinated him and then when he was older he researched certain things and how to become a psychiatrist. He had never told anyone about it because he never realistically thought he was going to become one anyway. Bonnie had snuggled close to him that day and told him not to give up on his dream but when she had asked him if he wanted to apply to premed somewhere he said no. His father had made clear that he wouldn't pay a single penny for an education that was anything but economic science.

Now that their future was somewhere around the corner but still so uncertain Bonnie was always thinking. Sometimes Kai had to physically push her out of her mind because she was so deep in thought. She mostly worried that they wouldn't get into colleges in the same area. What if Kai got accepted at MIT and she only got into Portland State University. (Kai hadn't applied to anything in Oregon by the way because he wanted to get as far away from his father as possible.) Kai always laughed it off when she told him about her worries. 'Oh Bon, don't lose any sleep over this. It's all going to work out.' was his usual reply and Bonnie worried that it might not mean as much to him as it did to her.

But no, that couldn't be the case because they had been doing strong the past few weeks. After Kai's birthday they had spent every free minute with each other. It was like they were glued to one another. They spend more time alone in school, not eating in the cafeteria but sharing the food that Bonnie brought from home or the leftovers that Kai had made. After school they usually met, after Bonnie was done with homework. Kai used to come with her right after school and watch her do her homework because he had no intention of doing his own, but more often than not the situation quickly evolved into something heated. Because Bonnie needed to keep on track with all her school stuff she forbit Kai to meet her before she was done with it. He had pouted like a 5-year-old but he respected her choice.

That rule didn't keep them from doing nasty things though. They couldn't keep their hands off each other for too long. It was rather time consuming and exhausting. So much so, that one day a teacher asked Bonnie if everything was okay at home because she was being tired and distracted lately. Bonnie had tried to hide her blush when she explained that everything was okay and that she was only a bit stressed over college applications. Her teacher had believed her because Bonnie wasn't known for lying but when she saw Kai at the lunch break she punched him hard for being the real reason behind her tiredness. He had only asked her what she did that for and she whispered into his ear that she was mad at him for keeping her up all those nights. That led to Kai having a fit of laughter and Bonnie being pissed at him. He tried to make it up to her all day but she refused to give in. She wanted to show who was in charge of this situation but when he came over later that day and looked at her with those puppy blue eyes that made him look like the most innocent kid from the block, she jumped into his arms and let him devour her for the rest of the evening.

Right now, all she really wanted was to join Kai on the bed and snuggle close to him, feeling his strong arms around her. She always felt protected that way. But she stayed right where she was and observed her boyfriend. She had no time to just relax with him. Due to their time-consuming hanky-panky sessions she was behind schedule on a lot of things and it would get any better within the next few days as she was preparing the arrival of Elena and Caroline for her 18th birthday.

Her best friends from home were going to arrive in two days and she needed to get the guest room ready and buy all those things the three of them always loved to eat while being together. In addition to that she needed to prepare the small gathering she had organized for her birthday. She didn't want to plan a big party like she had thrown Kai because it was too time-consuming, even though she would love a big party, but she still wanted to celebrate with her closest friends. So, Elena and Caroline quickly agreed to coming over to Portland for the weekend and Jo, Faye, Liza, Perry and even Connor had agreed to come along as well. Kai had pretended that he was busy that day but the death glare that Bonnie had thrown his way was enough to show him that she didn't need him to kid around with this topic.

Yes, there was a lot to do but still she was just sitting there watching the boy of her heart play around with his phone and looking like he had all the time in the world. She envied him a little for being so careless sometimes.

She was lost in her thoughts, so she didn't even realize that Kai was watching her from his position on the bed. She startled when he spoke to her.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Bonnie looked at him again. He still had his phone in his hand but he wasn't watching it but her. His gaze was warm and there was a hint of a smile surrounding his lips. That was one of those looks that made Bonnie's knees buckle. She smiled back at him.

"Oh, nothing important. Just trying to find a way to get everything done by doing exactly nothing." She joked.

"Ahhh." Kai sat up on the bed. "Procrastination, I get it. Trust me, I have a lot of experience with this kind of thing. Let me help you with it." His smirk was saying a lot about his intentions and when he got up from the bed and started to stroll over to her, Bonnie started to get defensive.

"Oh, hell no. Keep your dirty fingers to yourself.", she said while turning around in her chair and leaning away as far as possible. It didn't help though. With one swift move, Kai turned the chair back around and caged her with his arms. His nose was touching her cheek, since she was still trying to maintain some kind of distance to him. She felt his soft lips press a kiss on her cheek before he spoke.

"Don't act like you don't like what those dirty fingers can do to you.", he whispered into her ear and Bonnie felt the blood rush to her cheeks. He was damn right, but still she had to fight to stay strong right now.

"Kai, please.", she nearly begged with eyes closed while he traced the tip of his nose along her neck. A few torturous seconds later Kai's face was in front of hers.

"Okay.", he said and placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. "I gotta go anyway."

Bonnie opened her eyes abruptly and looked at Kai who was straightening already, heading for his coat that lay on Bonnie's bed.

"Are you mad at me?", Bonnie accused him. Was he really going to be mad because she shut him down?

"What? No.", Kai said honestly and turned to look at her. "I just- I have stuff to do."

"Stuff?" Bonnie leaned back in her chair and watched Kai put on his coat. "Like what? It's not like you care much about responsibilities." She felt like he was not telling her the whole truth and kept her eyes stuck on him.

He sighed. "I promised Jo to accompany her to the doctor's.", Kai admitted while looking to the ground.

Bonnie eyes widened as he said it but she was too scared to ask what it was about. Kai looked back at her and his face was suddenly serious.

"She said it is just a normal checkup but she doesn't want to go alone. I can't blame her. We really don't have the best memories about doctors.", Kai continued.

"Is it still about the accident?", Bonnie finally asked and Kai nodded. "God, it feels like a lifetime ago."

"Yeah."

Bonnie went over to him and pulled him down for a kiss. She felt bad for him. The past year hadn't exactly been easy for any of them, but Kai and Jo kinda took the cake.

"Say hi to her from me, would you?", Bonnie said softly.

"I will." Kai leaned down to steal a kiss. "I'll text you." Then he turned away and left her room. She heard him say goodbye to her mother briefly before she felt his presence gone from her house. Something heavy lay around her heart now, a feeling she had gotten used to whenever he wasn't around. Bonnie sighed heavily and had to force herself to be glad for the time she now had to get things done. After all, her birthday didn't plan itself and neither did her school preparations.

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The week went by so fast that Bonnie didn't even notice too much of it. She was drowning in school stuff to do. Due to that fact, Bonnie had to meet up with some people in her class to get group projects done or study with them. Kai wasn't too happy with that because it meant he didn't get to spend his day with her. She always invited him to come along, since most of her school projects and tasks were identical to his, but Kai couldn't give less of a damn about school. That was something that Bonnie would probably never get out of him.

So, the only time they actually spend time together was during lunch. But they were never alone because Faye was dealing with the same dilemma as Kai and claimed some Bonnie-time herself. Kai seemed okay with that though.

One day, Bonnie tried to remind all her loved ones of her impending birthday gathering and was shocked when Liza and Perry were the first ones to back out. They admitted that they completely forgot about it and bought tickets for the theatre that night. When Bonnie demanded they sell them again, they only looked at each other shamefully and said they couldn't because they needed to see the play for a school project.

Bonnie had nothing to say against that. School was more important, she understood. A lot was at stake for everyone in Senior Year. At least everyone else was going to be there.

The day before her birthday, Connor was the next one to cancel. He didn't even tell it to her face, which Bonnie was most annoyed about. He texted her with the lamest of excuses ' _My mom wants me to help her with something, I can't make it to your party. Sorry.'_

Bonnie wanted to rage on about it but she was still busy studying geography in the library so she had to contain herself. It was Friday afternoon and there was almost no one in the library, but the librarian had been looking at her like she was going to rip pages out of books, so Bonnie quickly redirected her attention back to her work and away from her phone.

She didn't stay too much longer though because her attention was elsewhere. She quickly texted Caroline and Elena to make sure they were still up for her birthday and was relieved when they assured her to be there in the early afternoon tomorrow. At least that comforted Bonnie a little.

As she went home, she called Kai from her car. She ranted on about Connor ditching on her and Liza and Perry's bad timing. She even warned him that, if he didn't show his face tomorrow she would melt it off the next time she saw him. He only chuckled and offered to come over to her house and stay the night. That way she could make sure that he was there on her birthday. Bonnie gladly took him up on his offer and Kai arrived within the next hour.

Bonnie was already settled into bed, cuddled deep within her blanket. The smile Kai wore on his face as he saw her was a mixture adoration and mockery and Bonnie threw a pillow at him. She really didn't have the nerve to deal with his crazy now.

Kai had to promise her to be a good little boy tonight and went over to the bed and crawled underneath the blanket, wrapping his arms around her tiny body for comfort. It worked instantly, and Bonnie's body relaxed into him. That night, she drifted off into sleep pretty early.

She woke up to a grey December morning, Kai's body was dragged out next to her, his face turned away from her. With a quick look on her phone, where she was greeted with a dozen of birthday massages which she only briefly scanned, she realized that it was already 9:30 a.m. She turned around to see that Kai was still fast asleep. It was weird since they didn't go to bed too late and he usually woke up way earlier. He couldn't have had a bad night either because she usually felt it when he did. He would turn around and sit up in bed but tonight had been quiet.

Bonnie decided that Kai had had enough sleep for today and snuggled close to him, placing her head on his chest. She felt him stir a little but he remained asleep.

A sigh escaped Bonnie. How come she had to fight so hard to wake her boyfriend up when he usually woke from the slightest movement. She decided to go for sweet torture and started kissing Kai's jaw. His face moved away from her instinctively. A groan escaped him, something that she had never heard from him before. Suddenly, she fell back onto her side of the bed as Kai turned to his side, his back facing her.

Bonnie lay on her back and looked at Kai's back dumbstruck. She blinked to manage her thoughts, but she couldn't help but feel annoyed. For any possible day to sleep in Kai had chosen her birthday? She would be happy that he did that if she didn't have the perfect birthday morning planned in her head already. She would wake up in his arms (didn't happen), kiss him good morning (didn't happen), he would wish her a happy birthday (didn't happen) and they would spent a very lazy and cozy morning in bed side my side, snuggling and doing other things (didn't happen). Instead, she was lying next to a sleeping Kai who didn't seem willing to get up any time soon and thought about how to start her day now.

She sighed. For a few more minutes she lay on her back watching the ceiling and listening to Kai's even breathing. Then she got bored. She slowly emerged the bed and headed for the shower. After she got her body in birthday shape, she went downstairs to run into her mother and Jeffrey. They both wished her a happy birthday and presented her with her birthday gift, a new phone she desperately needed.

After her mother prepared tons and tons of Bonnie's favorite food, Kai finally joined her. He just plopped down next to her on the stool where she was sitting talking to her mother while she was cooking, and looked at her. He tilted his head and looked adorable, so that Bonnie realized that it didn't make any sense that she was mad at him for sleeping in. It wasn't his fault. And she never did mention how she wanted to spend her birthday morning.

He smiled at her with this breathtaking smile and all was forgotten. He leaned closer and pulled her into a deep and long kiss, which surprised Bonnie since Kai usually was restrained when other people where in the room, especially her mother. But this kiss was holding everything he was feeling for her and Bonnie didn't mind if the president of the United States was watching. Her heart was pumping fast as Kai finally pulled away. His lips still lingered on hers though.

"Happy birthday, Bonnie.", he hummed and sealed her lips with his briefly before pulling away for good. Bonnie had to control the dumb smile that was trying to spread her face, because she didn't want to look like an idiot even more than she already did.

"Thanks.", was all she could get out before she felt the gaze of her mother on her. Abby was surely entertained by the scene.

"You'll get your gift later.", Kai reported and Bonnie's head turned to him.

"What? I told you not to get me anything."

"And like yourself, I disregarded your wishes and got you something anyways. Relax, it's nothing big. It's not really a thing either."; Kai said and rolled his eyes, turning his attention to her mother. "Morning Abby."

"Good morning. You like your eggs scrambled, sweetie?", Abby asked and Kai's eyes began to glow. He loved Abby's cooking and never failed to vocalize that.

"Please."

Abby smiled lovingly at him before she turned her attention back to the stove, giving Bonnie and Kai a moment of semi-solitude.

Kai devoured his eggs like he hadn't eaten in 2 weeks. Abby only laughed when he thanked her for the food and left the two alone. Bonnie was still munching on some French Toast when she was pulled off the stool.

"I'm not done.", she complained but Kai seemed to be ignoring her. He dragged her upstairs and pulled her back into the bed, pulling her close. Bonnie was now laying on her back and Kai's head was placed on her chest, giving her the perfect angle to caress it.

Bonnie chuckled. "How are you so sleepy today?"

"Because- having you as a girlfriend is very consuming.", Kai mumbled against her skin before covering her mouth with his, making sure her complaint was stopped before it could even be properly formed in her head. The smile he was giving her when he pulled away made her forget about his teasing comment in a heartbeat.

"So, what are you planning for today?", Kai asked her.

"Well, I thought we could stay like this a while longer. Then we could head out for lunch, get Elena and Caroline and get ready for the evening."

Kai screwed up his face apologetically. Bonnie's eyes widened as she saw the reaction. "What?", she asked accusingly.

"I can't go to lunch with you.", Kai admitted and hid his face in the crook of her neck in order to avoid her temper.

"Why not? I thought we were spending the entire day with each other.", Bonnie let out disappointedly.

"We were. I mean that was the idea, but Dad called me in for babysitting duties. He's going to some work thing and can't take Briana with him. Jo is taking over the twins so she demanded of me to spend some time with Briana. I'm so sorry, but I kind can't bail on her. Don't hate me." His eyes were full of regret and Bonnie could see that he was really sorry. Even though she totally understood his position and that his family situation was difficult now, she was still disappointed. This was supposed to be the best birthday ever, because she was finally happy. But no: first her friends bail on her now her boyfriend abandons her for at least parts of the day.

"But you're gonna be there tonight?", Bonnie asked, trying to keep her emotions out of her voice to not make him feel guilty.

"Of course. I won't miss it in the world." Kai pecked her lips and Bonnie tried to avoid his eyes. She was feeling so sad right now that she had to fight back her tears. She wasn't going to cry on her birthday, she refused to do that. So, she swallowed once more and smiled back at him.

"As long as you're gonna be there tonight."

"Promise."

An hour later she was kissing him goodbye. He said he was going to check on her every now and then and would be there an hour ahead of the party for the preparations. Elena and Caroline would be there as well to help her get everything ready but she appreciated his help.

When he was gone, Bonnie plopped down on the couch in the living room where her mother and Jeffery were sitting.

"You okay, hon?", Abby asked while watching her daughter pout.

"Yeah, it's my birthday, what could be wrong?"

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The time wouldn't get by faster today. She was sitting on her bed, waiting for the time to get ready and pick up Elena and Caroline from the airport. But whenever she looked at her watch, she realized that only a few minutes had passed. In the meantime, Bonnie tried to distract herself by replying to the numerous congratulations on her phone and facebook.

Right before she was heading for the airport her phone rang and when she saw the caller ID she frowned, wondering why Caroline was calling her. She was still supposed to be on the plain.

"Hey, if this isn't out birthday girl.", she heard Caroline say and Elena's whooing in the background.

"Hey Care, hey Elena. What's up?", Bonnie asked while putting on her shoes.

"Not much.", she heard Elena say and she thought that she sounded a bit weird.

"Most certainly not out plane.", Caroline added and Bonnie froze in her movement.

"What's that supposed to mean? I thought you'll be here in a hour.", Bonnie asked.

"Well, that's the thing. We just spent like three hours in that plane and the pilot wouldn't fucking start the thing. We weren't allowed to use our phones that's why we couldn't tell you. The plane is broken somehow and they can't get it up in the air. We're still at Richmond airport and have just been led out of the plane again because there is no way it'll be flying today.", Elena explained with a sad voice.

"So, when are you guys going to be here then?", Bonnie asked.

"Well, that's the thing, Bonnie.", Caroline stammered. "They offered us another flight but it is not until tomorrow. We won't be making it to your birthday."

Bonnie stayed quiet for a long time. This was a joke, right? Her two best friends wouldn't be making it to her birthday? Could this day get any worse.

"Bonnie? Are you still there?" Elena's concerned voice rang through the speakers.

"Yeah. Still here." Bonnie couldn't keep the sadness out of her voice.

"God, Bonnie, we're so sorry.", Caroline blared out.

"I know.", Bonnie sighed. "It's not your fault."

"We tried everything we could to get other tickets, but it was impossible.", Caroline whined.

"I get it, Care. I guess, we're just going to celebrate another time."

"Oh, Bonnie. We'll be there next weekend. We are going to get tickets right now. I promise, it will feel just like your real birthday.", Elena said and Bonnie could hear some female voice announcing something at the airport.

"But you're still going to have an amazing night. We'll call Faye and tell her to make it unforgettable for you. We'll even facetime with you guys. You'll never even miss us.", Caroline suggested and without Caroline's knowledge that everyone except Faye had canceled on her already, Bonnie felt even worse now.

"Yeah, sure. I gotta go now, there is still much to be done so-", Bonnie lied because she didn't want to start crying on the phone.

"Oh, yeah sure. We're so sorry, Bonnie. Have a wonderful day. We love you and happy birthday again."

"Bye.", Bonnie simply said and hung up. Throwing her phone away. She was sitting on the stairs with one shoe already on and the other standing next to her. She pulled off her shoe and tossed it across the room, giving her frustration new room. This was the worst birthday ever. She was sitting all alone in her house- her mother and Jeffrey left early to give her enough room to prepare- looking like a total loner. Suddenly, she got furious. She jumped up, took her phone out and texted Faye that the party was canceled and that she better not be turning up on her doorstep again. _Under any circumstances._ She didn't want to see anyone tonight. Then she went upstairs and let herself fall into her bed.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

When Bonnie said she didn't want to see anyone, she meant literally anyone. That was why she didn't go to the front door as it rang, one and a half hours later. Bonnie imagined it must be Kai who had been texting her nonstop, but she kept ignoring him. He wasn't supposed to be here until an hour or so but her lack of communication was suspicious. Bonnie turned around on her bed, lying on her stomach and covering her head with her pillow. She was really not in the mood to see anyone.

The guest on the front door kept ringing until the sound was a constant beep in her ears and she jumped up annoyed to get to the door. She was planning on yelling at him and pushing the door shut again but when she opened it, Kai's arms were immediately in between the door frame and the door.

"What?", Bonnie blared.

"Jesus, you okay? I've been calling you but you didn't pick up."

"I'm peachy, can't you see?", Bonnie said and turned away from the door, heading back upstairs.

Kai managed to get a hold of her arm before she was halfway upstairs and turned her around to him. "Hey, what's going on?"

That was the moment Bonnie couldn't hold back her tears any longer. She broke down and sat down on the stairs, burying her head in her hands. She felt Kai sit down next to her and wrapping an arm around her protectively.

"It's the worst birthday ever.", Bonnie mumbled between sobs.

"What? Why are you saying that?"

"Because no one it coming to my party. They don't care. Elena and Caroline are stuck in Virginia and Connor and the others are too cool to keep up appearances. I wish I would have gone with my initial wish and invited the entire school, so at least someone would attend."

"But what about Faye?"

"Told Faye the party was off. I don't want to see anyone here tonight." Another hit of sobs shook Bonnie's body and Kai pulled her closer into his arms. She leaned into him, let him hold her, let him sooth her. After a while she managed to breath normally again and looked up into his face. He smiled at her sadly.

"I'm sorry, Bon." He whipped away the strands of her tears while looking down at her.

"It's not your fault."

"Still. Can I do something to make you feel better? You wanna go out or something?"

Bonnie didn't feel like going out. Even though she could at least make the best of the day that was left, she didn't feel like it. Outside it was already dark since the December light was always cut short. On a normal day she wouldn't mind that but today, she felt like she had been betrayed by everyone and everything, even the light. The sun had decided to be just like her friends, cold and absent.

Bonnie shook her head. "I just want to stay in and watch some movies with you, if that is okay?"

"Sure. Whatever you need."

They decided to call for some pizza delivery and Kai made the call a few minutes later. Bonnie was starting to get comfortable on the couch in the living room after closing all the curtains and blinds for a better cinema atmosphere, already starting Netflix to find something to watch when she heard a noise.

It was the sound of a car alarm that was getting off somewhere close. When Bonnie realized there was no other car parked outside then hers, she rolled her eyes. "You got to be kidding me."

She got off the couch and headed to the front door. She passed by Kai without a word of explanation.

"Where are you going?", Kai called after her.

"That's my car.", was Bonnie's only explanation when she opened the front door. She headed straight for her car, in hopes not to find anyone messing with it. She was in no mood for pranks like that. But when she reached it, there was no one in sight. Bonnie took a look around but couldn't find any damage on it either. But the alarm was still sounding through the streets and Bonnie had no idea how to turn it off.

Luckily, Kai didn't seem so unknowing because he was heading her way with Bonnie's keys in hand. He unlocked the car and it ultimately stopped beeping. Bonnie breathed in as she enjoyed the sudden silence.

"I hate this day.", she mumbled.

"Did you take a look if everything's okay?", Kai asked as he took a look around.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Just another inanimate object that wants to ruin my day.", Bonnie turned around again to head back inside, but Kai held her back by her arm.

"Don't be overdramatic."

"What? I get to be overdramatic. This day sucks. I am supposed to have the party of a lifetime but instead planes, cars and dumb friends are keeping me from enjoying myself. How else am I supposed to be other than overdramatic, heh?"

Kai sighed, silently agreeing with her, let go of her arm and locked her car once more. Then he took her hand and led her back to the front door.

"It sucks that you don't get to have the day you deserve but I have to say, I never really understood why you only wanted to have a small gathering. You should have had a whole lot more than that." Kai said while they had nearly reached the front door. "I know you're blaming everyone else for not turning up for your party but that seems a little unfair."

"Unfair? How is that unfair?", Bonnie yelled.

"Because-", Kai pushed the front door opened and let her walk inside first. "it is all my fault. They only did it because I told them to."

"You- what?", Bonnie turned to face him but he was making her turn around with a smug grin.

All of a sudden, all the lights in the living room were turned on and Bonnie was greeted by two dozen of people all screaming "SURPRISE" in unison.

Bonnie's mouth dropped open when she saw Elena, Caroline, Jo and Faye on the right side of the room. They were running towards her, hugging her close and wishing her a happy birthday. Somewhere someone started to play music as everyone was lining up to greet the birthday girl.

"How are you here?", Bonnie asked Caroline and Elena. "I thought you were still in Richmond."

"We were already in Portland when we called you. Kai picked us up. We felt so bad lying to you but seeing your face right now made it worth it.", Elena giggle before hugging Bonnie again. There wasn't even time for Bonnie to be mad at them for fooling with her, she was just so happy to see them here.

After that the whole crew including the traitors Connor, Liza and Perry wished her a happy birthday. Faye was overly happy that everything planned out the way it did and Bonnie gave her a mock glare for her obvious conspiring with Kai- who she had completely lost in the crowd due to all the people lining up to congratulate her. She would have to find him later and thank him- or slap him for making her feel bad in the first place.

There were way more people at her house then she had originally planned and Bonnie started to worry about all the drinks and snacks she had organized. In that moment the doorbell rang and the pizza delivery guy entered with a tone of family sized pizza. Bonnie spotted Kai at the entrance winking at her and she knew that he had been calling the delivery guy with not only their little pizza order but this huge one for everyone. That sneaky little bastard.

Bonnie was having the fun of her life. This party was more she could have hoped for. The reason she had relinquished having a big party like this was the amount of preparations it acquired, and she really didn't have any time for that. Apparently, her boyfriend had and went over her head to plan something bigger than she did- which she was more than grateful for. It felt like the entire school was gathered in her living room.

The people started mingling and smaller groups build which finally gave Bonnie a little air to go and search for her boyfriend who she found in the kitchen talking to no other than Brian Glen. To her surprise Brian's face light up like a candle as he spotted her coming in.

"There's the birthday girl.", he yelled and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her in the air. Bonnie let out a mixture of a scream and a laugh before Brian finally let her down again. "Sorry for that, Bonnie. But I had to do it. You know this one was starting to get on my nerves with all the secrecy and planning he did. Just had to let you know how happy I am that it is finally your birthday. Congrats, girl."

"Thanks Brian.", Bonnie actually snickered, feeling like the entire encounter with Brian wasn't as painful or annoying as she would have thought. He might be a brainless idiot but he was nice. Over the last few weeks the two had gotten to know each other better since he had started to hang out with them a lot more in school. Bonnie blamed that on the rekindled flame between him and Faye that neither of them wanted to officially confirm.

Bonnie stepped next to Kai who placed his drink on the table, probably to safe it from her since he wasn't sure what to expect from Bonnie. Maybe he thought she would slap him for fooling around like that. She had thought about it but in this moment, she was just happy so she basically jumped into his arms and placed a hard kiss on his lips. Kai was surprised by her reaction and needed a second to catch her but then he held her close and let her down gently when their kiss was over.

"Did I really deserve that?", he asked, chuckling.

"Probably not and maybe you're going to pay for what you did another day but right now I am happy. So happy. Thank you."

Kai smiled at her and placed a small peck on her lips. "Everything to see you happy, Bon. Happy Birthday."

For a second Bonnie reveled in the feeling his words were giving her but then she remembered she was on a party- her party. She took a small step back and started to notice all the other people in the kitchen again. "So, what are we drinking?", she asked loud enough for Kai and Brian to hear.

"Dude, you should have never introduced this one to liquor.", Brian laughed but turned to grab a plastic cup from the table.

"I know, right?", Kai joked and Bonnie elbowed him in the side.

It didn't take too long for Bonnie to feel tipsy. She had gotten a very good Tequila Sunrise from Brian and had done shots with Elena, Caroline and Faye. Actually, she had done shots with a lot of people, so it was no wonder she was starting to notice the impact of the alcohol. Though she didn't feel completely out of it yet. She was feeling great, having such a good time.

The later the evening, the better the music got. She jumped around on the impromptu dance floor in the middle of her living room with her friends and spoke to nearly every person in the building. She wasn't worried that someone might break something or sneak up into her mother's bedroom because Kai had assured her that her mother knew exactly what was going to happen tonight and had taken all the preparations needed. Before Kai had come out to help her with her car earlier, he had gone upstairs and locked all the rooms that were for no one to be seen, like her room, the guest room and her mother's room. Bonnie had to give him credit where credit was due. He really had thought about everything.

Shortly after midnight, she came looking for her boyfriend once more. She found him outside with Perry, laughing uncontrollably at something he had just told Kai. It was pure joy to see him like this, so she stopped in her tracks, leaned against the patio door and watched him for a moment. He seemed just as tipsy as herself but she guessed he had way more to drink then her. Or maybe not, tonight she really couldn't tell.

"Hey creep, you wanna play stalker over there or come join us?", Perry yelled over the loud music and Bonnie realized that she had lost track of her thoughts once more. She stepped over to the two boys and placed herself half on Kai's lap half on the bench they were sitting on.

"Interrupting something?", Bonnie asked.

"Not at all.", Perry said in his usual tone. "I was just telling this story of freshman-year about how I accidentally outed myself to my Dad."

Bonnie laughed, remembering exactly how it went down. His father had been the most amazing person about his son's coming-out but it had still been a blast to hear about his failed attempt to call Liza and accidentally pouring his soul out to his dad.

"Oh god, I nearly forgot about that.", Bonnie snickered and placed one arm around Kai's neck for better stability. "How come you haven't told him this earlier? It's like one of your first things to tell people."

"What? You've been keeping this masterpiece from me?", Kai asked with overexaggerated shock in his voice.

"Not on purpose, my dear. You have to believe me. It just feels like you've been part of our little gang forever that I always believed you already knew.", Perry winked at him and Kai seemed to let him go on this one.

Bonnie smiled seeing the two getting along so well. She scratched Kai's chin and thereby catching his full attention. He smiled down at her and closed the distance between them the next second. The kiss was civil, given their surroundings, but made Bonnie gasp for more. Too soon, Kai let go of her lips and kissed the tip of her nose.

"You guys are just plane adorable, you know that?", Perry said. "It is such a shame."

Kai and Bonnie both laughed at the comment. Perry had told them once, on another party, that if Kai wasn't with Bonnie he would totally try and hit on him- hetero or not. Bonnie had always known that Kai was totally Perry's type since they had been pining over him together for a while back in middle school. It was just a funny joke now and Kai had taken it as a compliment.

Kai turned his face back to Perry and said. "You know man, if I ever decide to play for the other team, it will only be for you."

Perry put his hand to his heart and inhaled loudly. "Kai Parker, stop playing with my heart, you naughty boy. You know I'll never ever forget that statement, right?"

Kai and Bonnie both laughed.

"But looking at that beautiful young lady in your lap, I guess I have to be realistic. There won't be much of an opportunity for me.", Perry sighed.

"Hey, never say never. Maybe you'll have to wait until I'm like 50 and in the middle of a midlife crisis, but if you'll still have me-", Kai kept on joking.

"I'll take you at any age, Mr. Parker. Be sure of that. Sorry, Bon. I'm gonna steal your man. It's gonna be a long howl but one day, he'll be mine."

"Well, I guess I was warned.", Bonnie chuckled and placed one kiss on Kai's cheek.

"Alright, lovebird. This is getting to hetero for me. I'll go inside and dance off to Beyoncé like I was born to do. See ya later." With that Perry got off the bench and waved them goodbye.

"So, you would really leave me for Perry, did I understand that correctly?", Bonnie asked and tugged on Kai's neckline playfully.

"Would you rather it be someone else?", Kai replied and pulled her further onto his lap. "Besides, I gave you like another 32 years with me before I change my ways, isn't that enough?"

"Eternity is not enough with you.", Bonnie said and cupped his face.

"Cheesy.", Kai stated as he slowly lowered his head towards her lips.

"I get to be cheesy today. It's my birthday.", she whispered since his lips were already so close.

"I know. That's why you're getting a pass.", he purred against her lips before he finally sealed them with his. This time their kiss was more passionate, more breathtaking. Bonnie was feeling like she was floating and the kiss turned into a fully-grown make-out session. Most of the people were inside, the others outside were too drunk to notice and even if they did, it wasn't a sight that was unexpected at a party.

After a while they pulled apart, both of them gasping for air. Kai hummed contently against her lingering lips and Bonnie broke into a wide grin. It was unbelievable what the happiness of this boy meant to her, what it made her feel.

Even though the party was still going on around them, they had spent the last ten minutes in their own bubble. That was why they both startled when a familiar female voice called out for Bonnie.

"Get your ass in here, Bennett. We're drinking.", Caroline's voice reached her ear and she had to chuckle. Kai pressed her closer to him, pressing a kiss on her cheek, making it even harder for her to untangle herself from him. But it seemed like Kai had intended this hug as a goodbye since he leaned down to her ear and said. "You should get over there. It's not fair of you to ignore everyone else on this party. As flattered as I am, you only see your best friends every now and then, I'm always here. So, go over there and have fun with them."

Bonnie turned around in his hold in order to look directly in his eyes. They were so full of affection at this moment that it made her heart jump. "Is that a promise?"

Kai looked confused for a moment until he figured out what her question was going at. She wanted him to promise her that he would always be there. Cheesy, again, and an impossible thing to promise, even for a person that wasn't as guarded as Kai Parker. Bonnie didn't expect a positive answer from him, or an answer at all. It had been more like a mock-question anyway. But Kai's eyes softened once more and his embrace didn't loosen a bit so she could get up. And then he kissed her softly and whispered "Maybe." before releasing her.

Bonnie was kind of dazed when she stood up and walked over back into the house. Kai's word echoing in her head when she was trying to figure out if he had been serious or messing with her. When she reached Caroline and Elena, she needed to snap back into reality because she was handed a shot glass and needed to down it the next second.

A few glasses later, Elena grabbed Caroline and Bonnie's hands and dragged them over to the couch.

"Okay, we didn't get a chance to talk tonight. So, what's going on in your life right now?", Elena asked while sipping her drink.

"Well, not much. Collage, school, Kai- the usual. I think you're already are in the picture.", Bonnie said.

"Speaking of- I watched the two of you outside.", Caroline wiggled her eyebrows. "Looked kind of intense and pretty- serious."

"Care.", Bonnie slapped her friends arm. "You already know that it is."

"Serious?", Elena asked with wide eyes. "How serious?"

"As serious as that I know that I love him."; Bonnie whispered keeping her gaze to the ground.

"Oh my god, Bonnie.", Caroline jumped up and down on the couch. "That's amazing. Does he feel the same?"

"Who knows, with guys these days?", Bonnie admitted. Caroline and Elena shared a quick look.

"You haven't told him, yet?", Caroline wanted to know.

"I guess you'd know if I did, don't you think?"

"I would hope so.", Caroline exclaimed and Elena slapped her other arm.

"What are you waiting for?", Elena asked.

"I-I don't know really. It's just something that will make everything- more complicated. I like what we're having right now, it feels really good and if I tell him now, it might change."

"Because you fear he doesn't feel the same?", Elena interrogated further.

"No. Yes. I don't know. Kai is a complicated person when it comes to emotions. That he made it this far is kind of a miracle because he is not exactly known for letting himself feel anything. I fear that he is not ready to hear it and most definitely not ready to say it back."

"But do you need him to say it back right away?", Caroline asked with a serious look in her eyes.

"What do you mean? Of course you want to hear it back when you express your love for someone.", Elena interrupted.

"Well, maybe not. Love is not about hearing the other person say what they feel, it's about feeling that they do. And from what I heard the past few weeks and saw today, I have a feeling that Bonnie might be content with what she is getting in return. Or am I wrong?"

Elena and Caroline both watched her and Bonnie hadn't realized that Caroline was right until now. "Care is right. It's enough. I know that he cares about me, very much. And given the fact that I know how he is struggling with voicing his feelings and opening up, I think I don't need him to say it back. But maybe you're right, maybe he needs to hear it."

Caroline smiled at her and reached out for her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Elena seemed to be thinking about something. "Yeah, maybe you two are right.", she said absentmindedly.

"You talking about Stefan?", Bonnie asked curiously.

"Well, maybe. It's been some time now that we've been together and I have told him how I feel once when we were having kind of a fight. We got through the fight but he never said it back, but now that I hear you talk about it- maybe that's okay. I mean, I love him and I know he loves me. I was always so insecure about it since he never said it back but- hearing you say that what Kai does for you makes you know what he feels- maybe I shouldn't be so insecure after all."

"Of course you shouldn't!", Caroline yelled. "Stefan is totally and utterly in love with you, everyone can see that."

Elena and Bonnie needed to giggle about Caroline's enthusiasm. "I guess we have to believe the only one that has a completely functional relationship out of the three of us.", Elena joked and Caroline nodded.

"Yes, that would be wise.", she joked and the three clinked their glasses resuming to talk about a lighter topic.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The party resumed the way that it started. With a lot of alcohol and a lot of fun. Bonnie had stopped drinking a while ago because she didn't want to forget about everything that happened due to intoxication.

Around three a.m. the first people said their goodbye's. Faye was driving Perry and Liza home since they had arrived together as well. Elena dragged a very drunk Caroline upstairs to the guest room around 4 and stayed with her.

Jo had hugged her enthusiastically when she left with Jessica half and hour later. She tried to drag as many people as she could with her so an obviously tired Bonnie could finally get some rest. Around 5 every last one of her guest had vanished and Bonnie started to clean up the mess they left behind.

When she was putting all the plastic cups that were spread across the living room table into each other she felt strong arms envelope her waist and a head leaned onto her shoulder from behind. Bonnie straightened to make Kai's position more comfortable.

"Let's go to bed.", he sleepily mumbled against her neck.

Bonnie chuckled. "You can go to bed. I'll clean up a bit. Mom's gonna freak when she comes home and it looks like this."

"You mom's not coming home until evening, I made sure of that.", he kept on babbling.

Bonnie turned around in his hold, so she was facing him. His arms remained around her waist but only loosely. When she looked into his face she saw the tiredness of his voice mirrored in his face.

"You thought of everything, didn't you?", Bonnie joked and kissed him.

"Sure, that's what I am known for." He winked and then pulled her closer to him. "Can we go to bed now? I'll help you clean up after a few hours of sleep, 'kay?"

"Alright.", Bonnie gave in and as soon as she had spoken the word, Kai had taken her hand and lead her to the stair. As quiet as possible the two made their way to Bonnie's room and closed the door behind them. Kai went directly to the bed and plopped down on it, putting his arm over his eyes. Bonnie smiled at the sight. Somehow, he looked like a small kid while doing it and she always liked it when he was adorable like that.

With slow but deliberate steps she went over to him and straddled him. Kai instantly removed his arm from his eyes and put his hands on her legs.

"Did I already thank you for tonight?", she asked him alluringly.

"You don't need to thank me. If anything, I need to apologize for making you feel so bad earlier.", he replied.

"No, that's okay. I had a wonderful night so a THANK YOU is in order." Before he could object she leaned down and placed her lips onto his. If he would have been more serious about his apology he could have easily pushed her off him but he obviously wasn't. Rather than pushing her away, he deepened the kiss and fell in tune with Bonnie's movements right away. Bonnie's hair fell over and covered both their faces as she felt Kai's hands wandered up on her legs and underneath her skirt, rubbing her skin.

It seemed like she had given him an energy boost because he flipped their positions in one swift move. Bonnie was now lying on the matrass, Kai hovering over her, kissing her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and put her hands around his neck, pressing him to her. Even though the heat of the kiss was undeniable, Kai was still soft in his movements and touches. He let his hands glide up and down the side of her body, not once trying to undo her clothes.

The familiar heartbeat and stomach pinch returned to Bonnie just as it had earlier that night. She could barely contain the butterflies in her stomach as Kai started to make a trail of kisses down her neck. Her heart felt light and heavy at the same time, jumping rapidly in her chest. Endorphins were making Bonnie feel as happy as she ever was and Kai mindlessly continued his caresses her neck. When he reached that spot right underneath Bonnie's right ear, she closed her eyes.

Her hands found his hair and started to caress it the way he like it most. She heard a content moan from him right beneath her ear and smiled. Kai covered her lips once more for a brief time before he went over to the other side of her neck. Without thinking twice, she let all the bottled up emotions she had stored away for the past few weeks out.

"I love you.", Bonnie breathed breathlessly into the darkness.

She meant what she said and she wanted to tell him in that particular moment, even though she knew that it would provoke some kind of reaction form Kai.

First, he froze in place, stopping with his kisses but he didn't move at all. Somehow that made Bonnie nervous. She nearly cried out when he abruptly sat up and looked down at her with shock and horror in his eyes.

"No, you don't."

 **Author's note: Sorry, sorry, sorry for the loooong wait. Be mad at me for it, I deserve it. Thanks to the holidays I have found time to finally finish this chapter. It's been a work in progress since September but I was working on some other stuff and let this slide. I am sorry. So enjoy this chapter and be sure that I will update again. This fic means a lot to me and I want to end it the way that I intend to end it and not by abandoning it. Life is just time consuming so be patient.**


	51. Chapter Fifty-One: Offset

Chapter Fifty-One: Offset

The clouds hung low that day and the rain was slowly soaking his body. Even though it was December, it was unusually dark outside. The sun had no chance of bringing any kind of light towards the ground and that was why everyone was still having their lights turned on at 10 a.m. And that was the reason he knew she was already up. Or maybe she was still up. He couldn't be sure.

He watched the house from a safe distance. Every ounce of his body was speaking to him to go inside, to go to her. But there he was, still standing in the morning rain, trying to get himself together. The lack of sleep was starting to present itself to him as he was waiting for his courage to come back out of hiding.

That was what she did to him. She made him weak and vulnerable. And she made him foolish. Like last night. He was a fool for saying things. For thinking them. But he couldn't help himself. He had only spoken the truth. Now, all he could hope for was that she would listen to him one more time. And believe him. Otherwise, that might be it.

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"No, you don't."

Bonnie looked at him with wide eyes. _No, you don't?_ What kind of reaction was that? Out of all the possible outcomes of her confession, she hadn't anticipated this. Bonnie kept her sight on Kai's upright position, trying to make sense of the situation.

"What-. What is that supposed to mean?", she finally got out.

Kai was avoiding her gaze, looking down at a spot on the blanket. He seemed a little uncomfortable, a reaction she would have understood but the rest of his body was completely guarded, like there was nothing happening inside of him.

"It means, that you are wrong." Kai's voice was void of any emotions. He turned around and sat at the edge of the bed, facing her with his back. His inability to have a decent conversation about her emotions- their emotions- and his lack of willingness to explain himself, made Bonnie angry.

"Don't do that. Don't turn your back on me. Not now." She sat up and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn around to her.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

He felt her gaze on his face. She was waiting patiently for him to wake up but he had already planned this day to go differently. As much as he would like to wrap her up in his arms, place kisses all over her face and whisper a 'happy birthday' to her ear, he wouldn't do that. Maybe his plan was a bit wicked but for the surprise to go the right way she had to get the whole package.

So, Kai pretended to be asleep. He knew that Bonnie wouldn't dare wake him, since it wasn't often that Kai actually did sleep this long. He felt her body getting closer to his and her head being placed on his chest. Good, the more she tried to get him to wake up the more he would fight her.

When she started kissing his jaw, Kai used the moment to let out a groan and turn on his side, facing her with his back. Bonnie didn't move for a few seconds. Kai could only imagine her dumbstruck expression and had to fight a grin from forming on his face. After all, he was supposed to be asleep.

It didn't take too long and Bonnie emerged from the bed and disappeared out of the room. Kai sighed and turned back onto his back. He took out his phone and checked his texts. There was one from Elena telling him that both Caroline and her would have their phones on flight mode now, indicating him that they were already in the air.

He checked the time again and went through his plan. He would have more time to actually spend with Bonnie before he would need to find an excuse and leave to get Caroline and Elena from the Airport. Slowly, he got up and got dressed. He made a quick detour to brush his teeth before he went downstairs and greeted the birthday girl. On his way downstairs, he made sure to put up his best pokerface. Bonnie couldn't suspect anything.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Kai's and Bonnie's eyes met instantly, and Bonnie could see a reaction in his now. It was hard to read but Bonnie could see fear, regret and sadness in them. She hated herself for feeling bad for him already, because she had every right to get an explanation for his reaction. But his look made her soften up a bit. She reached out her hand to cup his face gently, but he pulled his head away.

"What's going on?", Bonnie asked with increasing anger.

"Nothing.", he let out, trying to turn around again but she stopped him.

"Nothing, huh? Is that how you would describe this? That me telling you how I feel and you dismissing it by not believing me, is nothing? That means nothing to you?", her voice was raised already.

"Yes- I mean, no. I mean- let's just not talk about this, okay? You're drunk, you don't know what you're saying.", Kai said while lowering his head and palming his forehead with his hand.

"Is that what you think? That I am drunk and not speaking the truth? You don't believe that I could have genuine feelings for you and just think that I, due to my intoxication- which by the way is nonexistent, am not able to speak coherent facts?"

"That's not what I said-", Kai started while raising his head towards her again.

"Yes, that is exactly what you said, Kai.", Bonnie interrupted him. "Your answer to my 'I love you' was 'No, you don't.' How is that anything different then not believing me? Explain that, would you?"

Her anger had risen to a full-grown fury. She was watching him with demanding eyes and all this time he was holding her gaze, breathing heavily. Bonnie was waiting for his explanation, her previous pity because of his sadness blown away.

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The rain had picked up and Kai had to make a decision. Be the coward that he was, or face Bonnie and have a decent conversation about last night. He wanted to run but he knew better. Bonnie deserved better and he knew with Caroline and Elena in the house, Bonnie would obsess about the occurrence of the previous night by telling them all about it. Kai doubted that either of the girls were already up but he couldn't risk Bonnie having a conversation with them before he had had a proper talk with her.

He took one deep breath and took his first step towards the house. When he reached the door, he froze for a moment. The door was still unlocked, open for anyone to get in. Neither of them had thought about locking it after everyone had left. Kai wondered if he should knock or ring the bell to give Bonnie a fair warning about his arrival.

On the other hand, it was really only the opportunity for her to slam the door in his face and lock him out for good. No, that couldn't happen. He needed to talk to her.

So he turned the knob and the door opened just a crack. Another deep breath and Kai stepped over the threshold of Bonnie's home.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Even though he had dallied away the time with Bonnie, he realized he was still too early for Caroline's and Elena's flight. The plane would land in about 10 minutes and the two would still need to wait for their luggage and for them to get through security. It gave him approximately 30 minutes until the girls would walk through the doors.

Kai used the time to inform everyone about the state of affairs on the surprise party. He also texted Bonnie and send her a picture of himself at home, making an annoyed face. He had taken that picture yesterday and thought it would make Bonnie believe his little lie about having to babysit better.

A few more minutes later, he spotted Caroline's bright blonde hair in the crowd and made his way towards her. She and Elena were standing near the exit, looking around for him. Elena was busy with her phone, seemingly trying to reach him and ask him where he was. Right before Elena was putting her phone to her ear Caroline spotted him and bumped her elbow into her friends side. Elena followed the direction Caroline was pointing to and lowered her phone. The two girls started walking towards him and met him halfway.

"Hey there, girls.", Kai greeted them when they were in earshot.

Caroline smiled a warm and honest smile. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?", she joked and opened her arms to embrace him. Without hesitation Kai wrapped his arms around the blonde. He had instantly liked Caroline, if he were honest to himself he liked her better than Elena, and was really happy to see her again.

He went on to greet Elena and they started walking towards the exit when Kai abruptly stopped.

"Wait a second, you need to call Bonnie.", he exclaimed.

"Now? I thought she wasn't supposed to know we were here already.", Elena asked.

"That's the point. This is supposed to be a total surprise. But before that, we need to make her think that you aren't coming. She was already mopey about everyone else canceling but you two not coming will crush her. The surprise will be amazing. Just call her and tell her your flight got canceled and you can't make it. If you don't call her, she'll be on her way to pick you up in a few minutes.", Kai explained.

"That is a little bit cruel, you are aware of that right?", Caroline asked with a devilish smile, indicating she was totally on board. She had already picked up her phone and dialed Bonnie's number. She pressed her finger to her lips as she was putting the call on speaker, mumming Kai for the next few minutes.

Kai watched Elena and Caroline put on their best acts. They made up a perfect story and Bonnie seemed really sad about all of this. Kai had to give the girls credit, they were perfect liars. Right in the middle of the call, an announcement was made over the speakers of the airport giving Caroline's and Elena's story further proof. Kai smiled wickedly as he was seeing how his plan was put into motion.

When Caroline and Elena ended the call, he smiled proudly at them.

"Like that?", Caroline asked and winked and they laughed.

Kai led them to his car and put their bags in the trunk. He drove them to his house, since they would be staying with Bonnie for the rest of the weekend but Bonnie was not supposed to know that they were here for now, so they would be spending some time at his place. The girls would get ready with Jo, who was eager for their arrival. It wouldn't be too much longer now.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

She was turning her back to him, cleaning up the living room table. She hadn't even noticed his arrival. Kai was standing in the doorway and leaned against the frame, watching her. Even though he couldn't properly see her, he knew that she hadn't spent too much time asleep that night. Her movements were sluggish and her shoulders bend towards the ground. He couldn't see her face, but he could imagine the shadows that would be visible underneath her eyes.

For a second he wondered if he should be here. Maybe he should have called her first and not just walk in on her like that. But no, it was too late to back out now. He decided that it was no good standing there, watching her, so he spoke.

"You're up early."

Bonnie winced from the sound of his voice breaking the silence the house had been in. She froze in her movement, not turning around but facing something in the far. Kai feared that she might turn around and start throwing things at him, since he could imagine her still being pissed at him. And she had every right to be. But instead of turning around she remained in her frozen state until she resumed her former actions and started picking up random things from the floor and tossing them in the trash.

Kai knew then that he was in deep trouble. He would have rather had her scream at him then giving him the silent treatment. In this moment, he had no idea what to do or to say that would make any of this better. Lucky for him, Bonnie decided to acknowledge his presence after all.

"What are you doing here?", she asked without turning around. Her voice was oddly cold even though she tried to sound indifferent.

"Can we talk?", he said and took a step into the room. Bonnie was still busy picking up trash and didn't seem to be willing to face him anytime soon. Kai took a look around and realized that the room was already pretty much cleaned up, meaning that Bonnie must have been at it for a while now.

"I was willing to do that- _yesterday_." Bonnie made sure to put a stress on the last word. It was her way of trying to make him feel guilty. And it worked.

Kai sighed and lowered his head in defeat. "I know. And I am sorry."

That provoked a reaction from her. She finally turned around, anger written all across her face. She was holding a rag in her hand and was gesturing wildly with it. "You're sorry? _I am sorry_ , but sorry isn't going to cut is this time. You made me feel miserable last night. I didn't sleep, not for a second. I was wondering what I did wrong, how I could have acted differently. But then I realized. _I_ didn't do anything wrong. _You_ did. So, unless you have a really good explanation for your behavior, I am not willing to let this one just slide with a simple 'I am sorry'. I warned you that this wouldn't just go away."

They looked at each other as the house fell completely silent once more. Her eyes told the story of hurt and fury. He hated that look but he knew that he wasn't going to erase it from her face with what he had to say.

"I don't have one.", he whispered as he looked to the ground.

"What?"

"I don't have an explanation. I just-don't.", Kai said as he looked back up into her eyes, which were wide with misbelieve. Maybe he shouldn't have come here after all.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bonnie didn't answer any of his texts since he made Elena and Caroline call her. He had the slight feeling that this might have really crushed her. A little guilty voice was appearing in the back of his mind, telling him to set things right.

He tried calling her again as he checked the house for the two Mystic Falls girls and his sister. It was still time until they would head to Bonnie's house and start with the surprise party, but he felt like he would have to change the plan.

Kai found the girls in the upstairs bathroom, where Jo was busy being styled by both Elena and Caroline. It was a mystery how she even noticed Kai's arrival.

When Bonnie hadn't picked up his call, he ended it and sighed.

"Everything alright?", the voice of his twin reached his ears.

"Not sure. Bonnie is not texting me back. I thought that she would reach out to me the moment you guys canceled on her, but it's radio silence. Maybe I should go check on her.", Kai said worriedly.

Caroline turned around swiftly, leaving Jo's unfinished makeup be for the moment. "But then you'll risk the whole plan. What is the purpose of making Bonnie feel bad about everything on her birthday, when the huge surprise that you have planned for her isn't even happening the way it should have."

"Everything could still go the same. I would just be there a little early."

"How are you planning on managing that?", Elena asked.

"Well, I'll drive over there. Make sure she is okay. Distract her for a while and get her out of the living room so you guys can sneak into the house unnoticed."

"Pretty vague plan, don't you think?", Elena mentioned.

"No, no, no. He might be on to something.", Caroline said. "Bonnie's car, does it have an alarm?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"That could be our cue. We make the alarm on her car go off and she'll come out. You open the backdoor and we sneak inside. Total surprise." Caroline explained enthusiastically.

"Sounds good to me.", Jo said and Elena also nodded.

"So, everything stays the same? You'll get there with Jo and as soon as everyone is there you hit the alarm on Bonnie's car.", Kai resumed.

"Yup. And we'll stay in contact via texts.", Jo added.

"Great. I guess, I'll see you later then."

Caroline smiled and turned back to Jo's face. That was Kai's cue for getting out. He got to his car and drove Bonnie's way.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

His mouth opened and closed without any words coming out. Bonnie felt like shaking him, so that he would say something, anything. She just wanted to understand. She knew that he wouldn't say it back but she didn't think that she had to make him believe her. Why was he reaction like this? Was it too much to ask to understand the situation? Should she be more sensitive?

Abruptly, Kai got up from the bed and paced through her room. Bonnie was about to jump up too, when he was heading towards the door. For a moment she thought he would walk out on her but he turned around and walked back towards the bed.

Bonnie was watching him eagerly, expecting some sort of explanation. "So?"

Kai only shook his head.

"Really?", Bonnie asked crossing her arms over her chest. "Wow, that is rich."

"What do you want me to say, huh? What can I possibly say that would satisfy you right now?" Kai started to sound equally annoyed now.

"How about you fucking give me a reason why you won't believe me. What does that even mean for us? Do you even want to be with me? Do you have any emotions inside that messed up mind of yours? Or are you just liking the fact that you have me to your disposal whenever you want?"

" _What?_ No. Are you crazy?"

"Then what is it? Because the way you are acting is making it look like that."

"You don't know anything.", Kai said and turned his back to her.

"Yes, you're right. Because you won't tell me. Don't you think I have a right to know the truth?"

"Yes, but-"

"They why aren't you giving me a reason?", Bonnie now begged.

"BECAUSE I CAN'T.", Kai yelled. Bonnie was glad that her mother wasn't home right now and that Elena and Caroline were in a delirium sleep that even Kai's loud voice wouldn't get them out of. Bonnie looked at him with wide eyes, ready to reply something but frankly, she lacked any words. She had no idea what she could retort to that. So she just kept on staring into his eyes.

She had no clue what kind of emotions ran over her face that second but she could see desperation in Kai's. Their staring contest was on the one hand nearly unbearable and on the other the thing she cling to. The unspoken words between them and the ones that had been shared were the reason their connection was so hart to bear but she feared whatever came next, if and when the connection would be broken. It could only be worse then this so she desperately wanted to extent the moment.

Unfortunately, both her and Kai knew exactly that this couldn't go on forever and Kai was the first one to dare break their eye contact. He looked down to the floor, seeming like a dog that did something wrong. Bonnie kept on staring without saying anything. She tried to figure out a way to get back on track with him. To make him see her point of view and have a decent conversation about this topic, something they desperately needed. But Kai seemed to be too uncomfortable. He couldn't bare the tension in the room and turned around, grabbing the shoes he had left near Bonnie's desk.

"What are you doing?", Bonnie said, horrified from what she was witnessing.

"I should go.", Kai mumbled in the direction of the floor.

Bonnie moved closer to the edge of the bed, kneeling now. "What? No, you should most definitely stay. We are not done and you don't get to walk out on me like that."

"Maybe it's better like that." Something in Kai's voice sounded defeated and broken. Any other day, Bonnie would have been worried about him. Now, she was only mad- and worried about them.

"I promise you, it's not. If you leave now, you and me will have a major problem. Do you understand? I will not forgive you for this.", Bonnie warned him. Kai was done putting on his shoes. He hesitated for just a second and then stood up and headed for the door.

" _I dare you Kai Parker. Do not leave this room."_ , Bonnie yelled in his direction. She hadn't even realized that tears had started to run down her cheek.

Kai put his hand on the handle on the door and sighed heavily. He seemed conflicted but the feeling of discomfort and fear was stronger. "I'll see you.", he said, opened the door and slammed it shut.

"KAI! Kai-!", Bonnie yelled after him but she already knew he wasn't going to come back. Bonnie broke down on the bed and started sobbing into the sheets. She hugged her arms around herself in order to keep herself from falling apart. It didn't work though. The feeling creeping into her was worse then anything she had ever felt before. Rolled up in a ball, Bonnie had no idea how long she lay like this, how long she cried. It hadn't been their first fight but something about it felt different. Felt permanent and mature and important. Kai had run away from her, run away from her feelings for him. It seemed like there was nothing she could do to make him see and believe that her feelings for him were genuine. Like he didn't deserve it. What did that say about their relationship. How could she be happy with someone that didn't believe in her love? How could he love her, if it seemed so impossible she could feel the same.

Maybe this topic wasn't something that would have broken their necks immediately but eventually. Bonnie didn't need him to say it back, she new by his actions how he cared about her. But since she was starting to plan a future with him, she needed to know that someday, along the line, he would be able to confess those feelings. And most of all accept them.

Her sobs went quieter after what felt like eternity. She was lost in her thoughts and feelings of abandonment. For the longest time, Bonnie stared into the blackness of the night, wishing that sleep would finally release her of her pitiful being. But sleep never came and at the first light, Bonnie couldn't take it any longer and got up, trying to distract herself by cleaning up the only messed up thing that she could- the house.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Then what do you want?", Bonnie asked and Kai could see small tears wetting her eyes. He wanted to get closer to her and wipe them away before they had a chance to drop out. But he knew he was in no position to offer any kind of soothing actions on his own. It was Bonnie's call and she was not in a mood to let him anywhere close to her right now. She had a point. It was just so hard to watch her hurting and knowing that it was because of him. He never wanted to hurt her like this. He had promised himself to be good to her, because that was what she deserved.

Kai shook his head. "I- " There was nothing he could say. Nothing that was going to make it better. For the first time in his life, Kai had nothing to say. He was usually such a magician with words, always had something to retort, but right now he didn't.

Bonnie realized that the same moment as he did and sighed heavily. She let herself plop down on the couch, where she already cleaned up everything, and buried her face in her hands. Kai remained in his place, watching her from a safe distance. His wet hair was slowly dripping but since his hoddie and jacket were equally drained, it didn't matter.

Bonnie looked up at him after a while and it was hard for him to read her expression. Her mouth was still covered by her hand and she only moved them away slightly as she spoke. "Why can't you just believe me?"

"Believe you?", Kai asked a little confused.

Bonnie sat upright now, her posture more inviting and soft now. "Why can't you just believe that I am in love with you."

There it was again. That expression. The thing that had been the reason for why last night went so downhill so fast. All his feelings were churning. He turned his head away from her, in order to escape the heaviness of the sentence. He hoped that the movement would be enough to escape because the alternative would have been to leave the room but he couldn't do that, not again. "Please Bonnie, don't."

Bonnie shook her head. But instead of being angry, she was soft, even though she had no reason to be. "I will not let you quash this again. This is the thing we need to talk about, Kai." There was a break and Kai felt Bonnie's gaze warm on his cheek. When he didn't look at her she sighed. "What did he do to you?"

That spiked his interest. "Who?"

"Your father. What did he do to you that makes you feel like you are not worthy of love?"

Kai was a little offended right now but he knew it wasn't his position to let it show, so he tried to swallow it. Even though he tried his best he couldn't help the slight taunting-tone in his next words. "What? That's not what's going on here. I don't feel unworthy or anything and my father has nothing to do with any of this."

"Of course you wouldn't see it like that. I don't blame you. It' just-" Bonnie paused for a moment and swallowed. Her gaze was turned to the ground now and when she spoke again her voice was tainted with worry. "If that's not it, I have to think you don't want to believe me because you don't have any kind of feelings for me." She looked up with watery eyes. "And I used to think that that is not the case."

Kai let out a breath, sad that she even considered this possibility. He finally was brave enough to move closer to her. He plopped down in front of the couch, right in front of Bonnie's legs. He was careful not to touch her, in case she wasn't okay with that. "You know that's not why." He reassured her and Bonnie seemed to be a little relieved.

She tried to speak but Kai beat her to it. "I know I'm not perfect. I know I have these issues when it comes to emotions and trust and stuff like that. Maybe you're even right about me, maybe I am fucked up because of my father. Maybe I am just fucked up in general and no one can safe me. I don't know. All I know is, that I don't want to lose you and that I am so sorry that I hurt you like this. I wish I could tell you what you want to hear. I wish, I could promise you that I will never hurt you again but that would be a lie. You know it just as much as I do. I will continue to be fucked up and you will be the one to suffer from it-"

Kai wanted to say more. He felt like he needed to push her in a direction that would be safer and healthier for her. A direction that he wouldn't go himself because he was too weak and egoistic for that. But when Bonnie reached out her hand and cupped his face, stroking her thump across his cheek, his mind forgot about everything he wanted to add. Kai closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. It felt like he had been deprived of her affections for an eternity and the familiar feeling of warmth returned to his stomach.

"I don't want you to say it back. I will not push you to say anything that you don't mean. I don't need to hear you say it. But I will not keep my feelings to myself any longer. I will continue to tell you how I feel about you. I will tell you that I love you."

With that he tried to pull out of her soft touch but suddenly Bonnie's grip on his face was stronger and she used her other hand to cup the other side of his face. She made him look at her directly and didn't let go. "Until you believe me.", Bonnie finished.

Kai looked in her eyes with a mixture of fear, misunderstanding, vulnerability and care. "Why?", was the only thing he could reply to her confession. "Any other girl would have dumped me."

Bonnie smiled lovingly at him. "I'm not every other girl, I thought you knew that by now. Besides, I know you Kai Parker. I know you with every fiber of my being and I know that you care about me. And I know that you are worth fighting for. And I will fight. I will fight for us, even if I have to fight you for it."

Bonnie took his hands into hers and pulled him up to sit next to her on the couch. The second he sat down, she flung her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her. Kai hesitated for a second before he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drown in her. He wrapped in arms around her waist, clinging her to him. How the hell did he deserve this wonderful creature? Her love and affections? She was way too good for him. He buried his face into the crook of her neck and whispered against her skin. "I'm so sorry, Bon."

Bonnie shushed him lovingly as she continued to hold him. But Kai felt the need to discuss something so he slowly pulled away from her. "Can I ask something of you? I mean, I know I am in no position of making demands but it's important."

"What is it?"

"Can we- maybe take it slow. I mean, not like start again and slow everything down but- I don't feel comfortable thinking that we just move on like nothing happened. I feel like we need to acknowledge this enough and just be cautious."

Bonnie stayed silent as she considered his incoherent babbling. "Babysteps then?", she asked him.

"Babysteps.", he agreed and smiled shyly.

Bonnie smiled back at him and let her hand stroke his hair. Her face got confused then. "Why the hell are you so wet?"

Kai let out a mixture of a laugh and a sigh. "I kind of walked around all night. At some point it started raining."

"I thought you were at home.", Bonnie stated and looked at the clothes that he most definitely hadn't worn the night prior.

"I was. For like 10 minutes. I took a shower because I though it might help me cool down but when it didn't, I grabbed my clothes and went outside again."

Bonnie nodded. "So, you didn't sleep either?"

"Nope.", Kai admitted.

"Maybe we should go get some sleep then?", Bonnie proposed but when she saw his expression she quickly backtracked. "Right, babysteps."

"Don't be mad.", Kai said and stroked her cheek. Bonnie shook her head in understanding. "Do you want to go to bed? I could clean this shit up and you can go rest."

Bonnie shook her head. "No, I don't need to rest."

"You sure?", he looked at her concerned, but she insisted.

So, before Elena and Caroline even popped up the two had the entire house cleaned up. They didn't speak much but at least it wasn't awkward to be around each other. They had been lucky to get over this even though it now felt like their relationship had changed. Maybe it was only him but something between them felt more mature and honest. It was a good thing, at least he hoped it would be. But it was also a burden. There was no place for stupid fights like this anymore. He needed to pull himself together now and really try. For her.

When they were done, Kai decided to head home. The rain had stopped and he would get home without getting soaked again. Bonnie lend him her umbrella and hugged him at the door. "Let's not fight like this ever again. I really didn't like it.", she whispered in his ear.

"Me neither.", Kai replied honestly. He pulled away from her and gave her a small smile. She smiled back at him. It was hard to leave her now but they had agreed on taking it slow. It was better that they'd spend a few hours apart before seeing each other in school again. Also, she would need the time to be with Elena and Caroline.

Kai leaned forward and pecked her cheek before leaving the house and heading home.

 **Author's note: Hope this wasn't too confusing or depressing. I want to thank all of you for your support and interest in this story. I love reading your reviews. Thank you. It means a lot. I am doing my best to get the next chapter out as fast as possible.**


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